Off the Spiral: The Trouble with Foursomes
by GreyInnocence
Summary: AU sequel to The Notebook. Two months after their vacation in the mountains, Fuji has a surprise for Tezuka... and for Oishi and Eiji. Yaoi, yuri, and het, mpreg, mentions of foursome, standard pairings.
1. Surprise!

A/N: …We write too much mpreg. We are fully aware of this. See: The Mpreg Drabbles.

We'd like to point out that while this is technically an Off the Spiral because it follows Notebook canon (for the most part), this is not _actually _what happened after the Notebook because, well, male pregnancy was obviously not possible. Also, we have other things planned sequel-wise that are not this. Tezuka and Fuji are graduated, engaged, and have their own apartment.

This will be a few chapters. We're not sure exactly how many yet. Significantly fewer than the Notebook, at least.

Disclaimer: Breaking News: GreyInnocence is secretly Konomi Takeshi in disguise! /sarcasm. We wish. And if you're reading this…you probably wish too…

Pairings: Standard Notebook pairings, with a bit of vague friendly dream pair and fearsome foursome thrown in for good measure/necessity.

Warnings: Mpreg. Duh. (If you didn't realize that, GTFO). And not much else at this point, which is surprising, considering it's us. However I think PARENTS should earn a warning, though there's nothing…exceptionally bad about them…except Oishi's dad *spoilers*….That's it. Enjoy.

The Trouble with Foursomes

Chapter 1: Surprise!

Tezuka stared at the little piece of plastic sitting on his counter. His first thought was that it was incredibly unsanitary to leave a used pregnancy test where people ate and made food and that the counter would have to be disinfected immediately.

His second thought was, _It's positive._

He looked at his boyfriend, who was sitting on the couch in the living room flipping through a magazine nonchalantly. "Syusuke..."

Fuji looked up. "Yes, Mitsu?"

Tezuka held up the pregnancy test.

"Oh, you noticed that."

"I--Syusuke, it's positive."

"I'm well aware of that, Mitsu."

Tezuka looked at the test in his hand, then at Fuji, who was staring at him over the top of the magazine, and then back at the test. He set the stick back on the counter and started walking over to Fuji when the doorbell rang.

"Oh good! They're here!" Fuji placed his magazine on the coffee table and hopped off the couch.

Tezuka grabbed his arm as he walked past. "What's going on, Syusuke?"

"You'll find out, Mitsu." Fuji calmly pulled away from Tezuka and went to the door.

Eiji threw himself on Fuji in an enormous hug, nearly tackling the tensai to the ground. Tezuka shot forward with a sudden rush of adrenaline, steadying Fuji before he lost his balance.

Oishi and Eiji were both giving him alarmed looks, but Fuji was smiling, holding a hand to his stomach. "You'll be such a good father, ne, Mitsu?"

"Father?" Oishi repeated. "What...."

Eiji's eyes widened. "Fuji 's having a baby? I'm so sorry, Fujiko, I didn't know! I never would have done that if I had, I'm sorry, are you okay?"

Fuji chuckled. "I'm fine, Eiji, and so is the baby." He pulled Eiji into a reassuring hug.

Oishi smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Tezuka, Fuji. When did you find out?"

"Two minutes ago," Tezuka grumbled.

Fuji sighed. "About this baby... There's something I need to tell the three of you."

They all looked at the tensai warily.

"I'm not sure whose it is."

"But... it's Tezuka's..." Oishi frowned in confusion.

Fuji shrugged. "It could be one of yours..."

Eiji lit up instantly. "We could be daddies?"

Fuji nodded and allowed himself to be pulled into the much gentler hug from Eiji.

"But... how?" Oishi was still confused.

"I know you haven't forgotten what happened when we stayed in that cabin," Fuji said, raising an eyebrow. "It was two months ago, and that's how far along I am. I went to the clinic today to find out." He looked at Tezuka, reaching out to take his hand apprehensively. "Mitsu... you know that no matter what, you're going to be involved in its life, don't you? You'll be as much its parent as Oishi or Eiji will be."

Tezuka didn't answer.

"Tezuka," Oishi said, "I... I'm sure it's yours... Eiji and I only... with Fuji ... that weekend."

"Nya, and we all know you two screw like rabbits," Eiji said thoughtfully. "In that time frame you probably had sex with Fujiko like a million times as much as Oishi and I did."

"It only takes one time," Tezuka sighed.

"But it's more likely that it's yours," Oishi tried to reassure the obviously frustrated captain.

"So how do we know whose it is?" Eiji toed off his shoes.

"We don't."

Oishi blinked. "What do you mean? We have to find out eventually, Fuji."

"Not while I'm pregnant," Fuji snapped. "Those surgeries are invasive and I don't care how safe they are, I'm not putting my baby's health at risk unnecessarily."

"But it would be better if we knew," Oishi argued. "We'll be able to plan for it if it's mine or Eiji's, and if it's Tezuka's we don't have to worry about anything...."

"I don't _care, _we can wait to find out until the baby's born," Fuji said stubbornly. "We can still plan for it being one of yours."

"But what about a nursery? Eiji and I can't just spend a bunch of money on painting and furniture and everything without knowing if it's actually one of ours..."

"If it's one of yours, we can put a nursery at your place after the baby's born. It shouldn't take long if we plan ahead of time and get a few of the others to help, three or four days at the most," Fuji said matter-of-factly.

Oishi sighed. He should have known better than to try to make sense with the tensai by now. "How will this even work if it's one of ours? How will custody work and taxes and schooling and... Oh this is going to be so messy..." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We'll make it work," Tezuka said firmly.

"We could have joint custody, so each of us would get the baby for a week at a time," Fuji suggested. "We live close to each other, so when he or she starts school it won't be a problem."

"Can't we talk about all that stuff later?" Eiji whined.

Fuji shrugged. "We have to talk about it eventually."

"I know, but I just wanna be excited right now!" Eiji hopped from one foot to the other where he stood.

Oishi sighed. Tezuka rolled his eyes.

"Oh I suppose...!" Fuji let himself sound exasperated.

"Yay!" Eiji picked Fuji up in a bear hug and spun around. "This is gonna be so fun! We have to plan a baby shower and tell the team and," Eiji gasped, "AND I have to call Mukahi and rub it in his face that I could be a daddy and he isn't!!" Eiji grinned.

Tezuka blinked. The redheaded rivals were just too ridiculous sometimes.

Fuji was laughing. "Eiji, come with me to make the guest bed, okay?"

"Nya, okay, Fuji!"

"The blue sheets, right?"

"Mmhm! Inui likes the green."

Tezuka sat down on the couch, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Oishi sat next to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Tezuka... are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tezuka replied. "Or I will be."

"I know this must be hard on you--" Oishi started.

"It's hard on all of us," Tezuka interrupted.

"Yes, but..." Oishi sighed. "I wish I could stop that weekend from ever happening."

"There's no point in thinking that now." Tezuka shrugged off Oishi's hand and leaned back against the plush cushions. "We'll just have to go with it I guess."

Oishi sighed. "I guess we will."

After a few moments of silence there was a husky moan from down the hallway.

Tezuka and Oishi looked at each other and quickly went to the guest bedroom where they wasted no time bursting through the door.

"Told you so." Fuji smirked from his perch on the edge of the bed.

Kikumaru had collapsed onto the floor. "Your face!" he managed between laughs.

Oishi and Fuji looked at Tezuka to see that, indeed, he had on his bitchface. Fuji stood and slid his arms around Tezuka's shoulders, standing on his tiptoes to kiss his boyfriend's cheek.. "Don't look so sour, Mitsu, your face will get stuck."

"Fuji," Tezuka said sharply, annoyed.

"Nya, don't be mean, Tezuka," Eiji said, getting to his feet. "Fuji 's having a baby, you're supposed to be nice to pregnant people."

Tezuka resisted the urge to tap his foot impatiently. "I'm going to go make dinner."

Fuji pouted as Tezuka pulled away from him and walked out with as much anger as he ever showed outwardly.

"He's... struggling with this," Oishi said. "A lot. You know that, Fuji."

"Of course I know," Fuji replied. "I know how badly Mitsu wants the baby to be his. I want that too."

"Ne, maybe you should go talk to him, Fujiko..." Eiji stood up.

"Go, we'll make the bed." Oishi put a hand on Fuji 's shoulder.

Fuji peeked around the wall to the kitchen. "Mitsu?"

Tezuka paused in his chopping for a moment before he started again.

Fuji entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Tezuka's waist. "I'm sorry, Mitsu."

Tezuka sighed and put down the knife. "It's not your fault, Syusuke."

"I know," Fuji said. "It's everyone's fault. But please just try to make the best of it, okay?"

Tezuka turned around and pulled the tensai against him. "I want to. I'm trying. I'm trying to reconcile myself with the fact that your baby--"

"Our baby, Mitsu," Fuji corrected. "Ours, no matter what."

"But not really," Tezuka argued. "It'll know who its real father is, Syusuke."

"It doesn't have to..."

"Syusuke."

"Well, what if it looks exactly like me?"

Tezuka rolled his eyes. "You are so..." Tezuka sighed. He really didn't know how to describe the tensai right now.

"I am sorry it happened this way. I wish I had known. I--"

"Help me finish dinner?"

Fuji bit his lip. It could wait. He nodded.

"Has wasabi had any effect on you?" Tezuka asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Heartburn, nausea... you are pregnant, you remember."

Fuji chuckled. "I remember. No, not that I've noticed, although I suppose I shouldn't eat much of it at once."

Tezuka nodded. "Get it for me, please."

Fuji nodded and retrieved the tube from the fridge. "What are you making?"

"Spicy chicken stir fry." Tezuka turned to finish chopping the vegetables he had out.

"I'll get the wok.." Fuji pulled the folding step stool from its place wedged between the counter and fridge. "Remind me why we don't put it in the lower cabinets?"

"You store film in them."

"Oh.... yes..." Fuji smiled, stepping down from the stool and placing the wok on the stove.

"I'll finish up this. You start the rice."

"Yes, sir!" Fuji saluted playfully as Tezuka dropped the chicken into the wok. Tezuka managed a small smile at the younger boy's antics.

Eiji peeked around the corner, then looked back at Oishi, holding a finger to his lips. "I think they're getting along now," he whispered.

"Good," Oishi replied. "Come on, Eiji, let's leave them be, okay?"

"Nya, but I want to spend time with Fujiko and the chibi..."

"You'll have the next nine months and the rest of your life to spend with Fuji and the baby. I think Tezuka and Fuji still need some time, so let's just wait until they call us for dinner, okay?"

"I guess..." Eiji pouted as Oishi pulled him by the hand back to the guest bedroom.

"Smells good, Mitsu." Fuji stirred the food while Tezuka put the cutting board and knife into the dishwasher.

Tezuka washed his hands. He turned and took the two steps towards the little brunette. He rested his head on Fuji's shoulder while the tensai stirred. His hands crept around the still slender waist, and he left out a deep breath.

Fuji wrinkled his shoulder a bit as the warm air hit the nape of his neck. "That tickles!"

Tezuka smiled against Fuji 's neck and pressed his hands to Fuji 's stomach. "I _am _happy, Syusuke. This baby already means so much to me, whether it's my child or not."

"And he or she will feel exactly the same about you," Fuji promised..

Tezuka hm-ed noncommittally.

"They will!" Fuji turned around in the captain's arms. "They will love you because I do..." Fuji 's eyes softened.

Tezuka leaned down and captured the tensai's lips in a kiss.

"Anyway, for now we should assume it's yours," Fuji murmured. "Oishi was right, you're the most likely candidate."

"Candidate," Tezuka repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You make it sound like a contest."

"It almost is, in a way," Fuji said, smiling thoughtfully. "Except I don't think Oishi really wants to win. Eiji does, and I wish he didn't, he's going to be so disappointed if it's not his."

"The destruction a combination of your genes could cause..." Tezuka smirked as Fuji 's lip stuck out in a pout.

"That's why you're the only person with whom I would knowingly reproduce," Fuji said. "I figure my overabundance of personality combined with your... lack thereof... would produce a fairly normal child."

"That's funny. You don't usually think I have any lack of personality..." Tezuka's hand slipped to Fuji 's lower back.

Fuji grinned and was about to press his lips against Tezuka's again when the timer on the rice cooker went off. His cheeks pinked slightly as he turned to shut off the burner and then the timer. He could hear Tezuka pulling plates out of the cabinets behind him.

"I'll go get Oishi and Eiji," he said.

"No need," Eiji said cheerfully as he and Oishi entered the kitchen. "We heard the timer, nya."

"It smells great," Oishi said.

"I smell wasabi..." Eiji sniffed warily.

"Don't worry, Kikumaru. I didn't let Syusuke touch it."

"Good!" Eiji smiled.

They all took their seats around the Western-style table and said a quick "Itadakimasu!" before serving themselves.

"Nya, so," Eiji started, swallowing a large piece of chicken forcibly, "when are we going to tell the rest of the team?"

"Maybe we shouldn't tell them at all," Oishi suggested.

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "I think they'll notice eventually."

"I meant maybe we shouldn't tell them that there's a possibility of it being mine or Eiji's," Oishi clarified.

"It's an idea, but I think some of us are far too excited about the idea to keep it to ourselves." Tezuka glanced at Eiji out of the corner of his eye.

"Mitsu," Fuji warned.

Tezuka switched his gaze at Fuji over the rim of his glass, as if to say that Fuji knew it was true. Under the table Fuji brushed a socked foot over Eiji's. The redhead had started to play with his food. He knew that had been directed at him. He wasn't an idiot.

"What about your-slash-our parents?" Oishi redirected.

"Well, your families should be prepared, I suppose," Fuji said, shrugging. "And Mitsu and I should tell our parents as well."

Tezuka winced internally. He was not looking forward to his grandfather's reaction.

"Yuuta will scold me for being promiscuous, though," Fuji continued.

"It won't be so bad at my house...except for my sisters, " Eiji muttered. "They know Fujiko's prettier than them."

Oishi smiled at the redhead's comment, but wasn't looking forward to that discussion much either at his own house. "My parents don't even know I've had sex though..."

"But what about the infamous box?"

"Fujiko!"

"Oops, I wasn't supposed to talk about that was I...?" Fuji smiled a bit too innocently.

Eiji frowned while Oishi covered his now red face with his hands.

"Box?" Tezuka asked.

Eiji hesitated. "Well, you see... you guys know how me and Oishi used to mess around a lot when we were in high school, right? Even before we actually did it. Well, Oishi kept all our... toys and stuff... in this big box under his bed. But his parents never found it, Fujiko! And we took it with us when we moved out."

"Do you still have it?" Fuji asked interestedly.

"Nya, well, we don't use it for that anymore," Eiji said. "Mostly we keep it for sentimental reasons. My big teddy bear's on top of it." He grinned.

Tezuka blinked. "Why keep it if you don't use it?"

Fuji swatted Tezuka's shoulder. "Not everyone's as non-sentimental as you, Mitsu."

"Sentimental?"

"You know, has emotional attachment...?" Fuji raised an eyebrow at him.

"I know what sentimental means, Syusuke. I just don't know why something of such nature would be considered such."

Fuji rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb, Mitsu. It's unbecoming of you."

Tezuka rolled his eyes in response.

"I bet Yumiko-nee-san will be happy, ne, Fujiko?" Eiji switched the subject.

"I bet she already knows..." Fuji stood.

"Where ya' goin'?" Eiji tilted his head

"Needs more wasabi."

Eiji made a strangled gasp. "Does not!"

"Syusuke, not too much," Tezuka said warningly.

"Oh, I'll be fine, Mitsu. Don't worry so much."

"I'm worried about the baby."

Fuji pursed his lips. "Are you saying I'm not concerned about the baby's health?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Syusuke."

"Quit fighting!" Eiji hit a hand on the table for emphasis.

"Eiji's right." Oishi set a hand over the redhead's. "It's not good for you two to be fighting right now, and it's not good for the baby either."

"Hmm..." Fuji sat back down. He shoved back the urge to throw his chopsticks at Tezuka and instead played with his food.

Eiji nudged his foot under the table. "Eat, Fujiko, or I'll just have to feed you!"

Fuji couldn't resist the small snort as a mental image of Eiji forcing him into a high chair and bib and saying "Open up for the train! Choo! Choo!" as he spooned food into the tensai's mouth came into his head.

Dinner continued mostly without incident from that point. Oishi and Eiji offered to do the dishes--insisted, really--telling Tezuka and Fuji to go get showers while they cleaned up.

Fuji pouted as he undid the buttons of his shirt. "Ne, Mitsu..."

"Hn?"

"You don't really think I'd neglect the baby's health, do you?"

"Of course I don't, Syusuke." Tezuka kissed his forehead, unbuttoning his jeans. "Go on, I want to get to bed. It's been a long evening."

"That it has," Fuji agreed.

Fuji turned on the shower and stepped under the slow-to-warm spray. He shivered. Tezuka pressed against him from behind, warming him slightly. He managed a small smile at the older boy as he partially turned around. Tezuka leaned down and kissed the tensai. "Ich liebe dich..." he mumbled against Fuji 's lips.

"I love you too." Fuji felt tears prick his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tezuka cupped his chin.

"I have no idea, Mitsu, really...." Fuji blinked quickly. "They just...came."

Tezuka smiled slightly. "Hormones."

"Mm..." Fuji looked down at himself, poking his stomach. "Are you going to be this troublesome the whole time you're in there, little one?"

"Much more, I'm sure."

Fuji smiled. "Well, I don't mind so much. As long as you promise not to give me stretch marks."

Tezuka rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you won't get stretch marks..."

"Just because you're not the one who has to worry about them--" Tezuka silenced the words with yet another kiss.

"Do you want me to wash your hair?" the taller boy asked as he pulled away.

"Please?"

After they got out of the shower, they bid the Golden Pair good night, which consisted of lots of hugs and tummy-nuzzles and giggling, and curled up together in their bed.

"Ne, Mitsu?"

"Hn."

"Will you still love me even if I get stretch marks?"

Tezuka sighed. "Syusuke, go to sleep."

"Okay... Mitsu?"

"Yes, Syusuke."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Goodnight."

"Say goodnight to the chibi."

"Goodnight, Chibi."

"Say goodnight to Papa, Chibi."

Silence.

"Well, good enough."

Tezuka snorted and spooned the mother-to-be close.

Meanwhile the Golden Pair were drying themselves off from their shower.

"I really am excited about this, Oishi..."

"I don't understand why..."

"Because I might be a daddy, Oishi! That's super cool, nya."

"It _isn't, _Eiji, don't you see? It's going to make everyone's life, including that baby's, so much more difficult if it's not Tezuka's."

"Well, we can't _do _anything about that. We need to make the best of it, and you can't be all sad about it if _you're _the father, Oishi! You have to love it and--"

"Of course I will," Oishi said defensively, "but I don't want _you _to be upset if it's not yours. You should want it to be Tezuka's, Eiji. And you shouldn't--" Oishi paused, flushing.

"Ne, what, Oishi?"

"You shouldn't... want to have a baby with someone else."

"Oishi," Eiji said sadly. He threw his arms around his boyfriend's neck. "I don't _want_ to have a baby with Fujiko. Me and you are _engaged. _But, if it is mine, then I should be excited and love and care about it as much as I would if it was mine and yours... Besides, someone has to be excited for you and Tezuka." Eiji grinned cheekily.

"Oh, I don't think Tezuka's not excited... I'm sure he's very happy, he's just having a hard time showing it."

"Nya, well, Tezuka has a hard time showing any emotion." Eiji shrugged. "Come on, Oishi, let's get to bed. I can... you know... cheer you up..."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, and maybe when we go home tomorrow we can... crack open the box... for old times sake, ne?" Eiji nipped and kissed the skin under the curve of his jaw.

"We'll see." Oishi, who already had one arm wrapped around Eiji's waist, stooped to wrap the other around the back of Eiji's knees and swung the redhead into his arms.

Eiji laughed as Oishi carried him down the hall to the guest bedroom and tossed him onto the rather springy bed.

---

When Fuji woke up the next morning, he found Eiji in the kitchen, busy cooking breakfast. "You're up early," he said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Nya, I always wake up early after sex. And I get too antsy to stay in bed and wait for Oishi to wake up."

"Me too. It must be an uke thing. Tezuka likes to sleep in and tries to keep me in bed as long as he can." Fuji smiled, peering over Eiji's shoulder.

"Syusuke..." Tezuka, who apparently didn't want to be awake right now, warned, his voice roughened with sleep.

"Mitsu, you cannot make me stand a certain distance away from my best friend." Fuji glared at the pajama-clad man over his shoulder.

"That wasn't--" He sighed. "Do not disclose such things about me..."

"Oh..." Fuji 's mouth turned up in a smile. "Green tea today? I'll make it."

Tezuka furrowed a brow. "Yes, but I can do it my--"

"Nonsense. Go shower."

"Uh... right..." Tezuka looked at the tensai suspiciously as he left the room.

"So, what'cha makin'?"

"Yummy stuff. It's a surprise." Eiji turned away from the stove and patted Fuji 's belly. "I kept the chibi in mind."

Fuji pouted. "That means it won't have any flavor."

"It just means you're not gonna get sick afterward, nya. But I guess _you _won't find it all that tasty, since you have bad taste buds."

"I don't have bad anything."

"You have a bad tolerance for vodka." Tezuka came back into the kitchen. "I don't need a shower; we took one last night."

"Oh, right!" Fuji tilted his head at the realization. "I'll go wake up Oishi-kun!"

Eiji started at Tezuka after the smaller boy left the room. "You don't think he's doing it on purpose, do you?"

"I hope not. I don't know if I'll be able to take Fuji being that…."

"Naively stupid?"

"Yes, that, the entire nine months…"

Oishi yelped from somewhere down the hallway, making Tezuka sigh again.

"Stop it, Fuji ! I hate being tickled!"

Eiji quirked an eyebrow, shook his head, and turned back around to the stove.

"What are you making?"

"Cinnamon and peaches couscous."

"We had peaches and couscous?"

"Mhm, in Fuji's cabinet."

"Oh." Tezuka looked to the cabinet door which hid all of the ingredients that the tensai liked to use. The ones he wasn't allowed to use when cooking for people other than himself.

Fuji and Oishi rounded the corner into the kitchen then, Fuji's arm latched around Oishi's. "Lazy seme number two present and accounted for."

"'M not lazy," Oishi protested half-heartedly, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Eiji grinned and abandoned the stove in favor of hugging his boyfriend. "Nya, Oishi, you're so cute."

Oishi smiled. "Morning, Eiji."

Eiji turned around and saw Fuji peering into the bubbling liquid on the stove. "Fujiko!"

Fuji jumped back, trying to act innocent and failing. "Yes?"

Eiji flicked the smiling boy's forehead and stuck his tongue out. "Bad Fujiko!"

"Am not!"

"Are too, but we love you anyways!" He grinned.

"Meanie."

Eiji put a lid on the pot and shrugged. "What're you guys doing today?"

Fuji glanced at Tezuka. "Well... now that everyone knows, and you two are here... I thought, if you don't have anything to do today, the four of us could go out and do a little baby shopping."

Eiji's face lit up. "That sounds so fun! I love baby clothes, they're so cute!"

"It's never too early to start, after all," Oishi agreed. "Though we can only buy gender-unspecific things until we find out the sex..."

"After breakfast, then?"

Tezuka just nodded, pulled out a chair, and sat.

Fuji frowned slightly, watching Tezuka until Eiji waved something in front of his face. Oh, right. Tea.

Fuji put a mug of green tea in front of the father-to-be a few minutes later. Tezuka blinked at it.

"I was going to do that in a few minutes…"

Fuji shrugged. "I said I would."

"I know, but…" Fuji kissed his cheek.

"I'm going to go get dressed. Try to be a little happy?" he suggested hopefully.

Tezuka gave him a slight nod and sipped at the tea as the mommy-to-be disappeared into their room.

"Nya, Tezuka, you don't look like you're trying very hard."

Tezuka ignored this.

"Ne, ne, cheer _up! _If you make Fuji sad, I'll kill you."

Tezuka sighed. "Kikumaru," he said evenly, "please do not intentionally push my buttons today, I am in no mood for it."

"You're still being all bratty about it, nya," Eiji pouted. "Stop thinking so much about _whose _baby it is. Fuji's having a baby, and it's _really really awesome_, and it doesn't matter whose it is as long as it's happy and healthy. So stop being such a big jerk who only pays attention to himself."

"Eiji," Oishi said sharply. "Don't--"

"Nya, he deserves it, Oishi," Eiji snapped.

Eiji glared at Tezuka through breakfast and when they cleaned up, at least when Fujiko wasn't looking, nya.

"Where should we go first?" Oishi asked as they walked out to Tezuka's car.

"Well," Fuji reasoned, "we can't get furniture and such until we move the stuff out of the guest room, so maybe just some clothes and bottles and stuff?"

"Syusuke!" a female voice called.

Fuji looked across the street from the apartment building and saw his sister. "Nee-san!"

Yumiko started to shout something across the street, but it was drowned out in the noise of the traffic. She frowned and started across the street, making several cars slam on their brakes.

The younger sibling ran to greet her. "What are you doing over here?"

"My cards told me I needed to see you!" She put her hands on her hips. "Now, aren't you supposed to greet and _then_ question? I thought Mother and I taught you better than that!" She pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry," Fuji said. "Hi, Nee-san. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, baby brother. Now, you know my cards are never wrong. What's going on that you haven't told me about?"

Fuji hesitated. "Saa, well, you might want to come inside for a bit. It's a rather long story..."

"Of course."

"Ne," Fuji said, returning to Tezuka, Oishi, and Eiji, Yumiko in tow, "do you all mind if we go a bit later? I think we have something to tell my sister."

They all looked at Yumiko in unison, then nodded and turned back toward the apartment building.

Yumiko looked delighted. "Have you trained _all _of them?" she asked in a whisper.

Fuji smiled wickedly. "To some degree. Oishi the least."

--

A/N: Reviews are lovely and make us go squee. Do drop one, we like both praise and criticism but laugh at flames.


	2. Is not of want!

A/N: Yay for chapter two!!! Guess what!? We're going to OHAYOCON this weekend!!! Umm...I guess that means if anyone who reads this will be there...Uh...it'd be awesome to meet you or something....That sounds kind of creepy...and we really have no way of you knowing who exactly we are because we were going to cosplay but our other friend (who was supposed to be the main character bailed (ASSHAT MOVE BAILEY)...So...Um... I don't know...If anyone is going message us, cause that'd be super cool! (And we're not creepers. We swear. We're high school seniors....Though...We do creep occasionally [See: Katie stalking Kurogane and Fai cosplayers at Ohayocon 09]) ANYWAYS. Enjoy. Please. ^_^ WAIT!!! Also. Please review and say "Happy Birthday" to Katie!! She is legal on Friday!!!!!

Warnings: Yumiko, hormones, cross-dressing, parents

Disclaimer: SRSLY Christmas. Make it happen.

The Trouble With Foursomes

Chapter 2: Is not of want.

"One of you got my baby brother pregnant." Yumiko set her teacup in its saucer on the coffee table.

"Well--" Oishi started, but was cut off by a sharp sound from the woman.

"Nee-san, be nice please?" Fuji touched her arm lightly.

"You three will take good care of my baby brother and my niece or nephew, or you will learn what sadism really is." Her voice was calm in the way the tensai's was when he was angry. "Understand?"

The other boys nodded.

"Good."

"You know, Nee-san," Fuji said tentatively, "I do hold some of the responsibility here."

"Nonsense."

Well, he hadn't expected that to work anyway.

"When do you plan to tell Mom, Syusuke? And Yuuta?"

Fuji shrugged, smiling. "Soon enough. I know Yuuta won't be happy with me."

"Oh, what can he say about it, he's dating that ridiculous person," Yumiko scoffed. "You don't worry about Yuuta's reaction, Syusuke. Once he gets to see the baby, he'll be completely head over heels for it, regardless of how it came to be."

"Well, let's hope so."

"He will." She smiled knowingly.

"Quit reading into my future, Nee-san!" A band of red spread its way across Fuji's cheeks and nose.

"I was worried about you!" Yumiko practically pulled her brother into her lap as she hugged him again.

"I can take care of myself! You should be worried about Sakuno-chan!" Fuji, still flushing, tried to push away from the hug.

"You're family. You come first, no matter how much I love Sakuno-chan, and, besides, I'm practically your second parent. I can and will worry about you as much as I want."

Oishi looked over at Tezuka, who had spent more time with the Fuji family than he had, though probably not as much as Eiji had, but that was besides the point. Tezuka was more objective than Eiji. Tezuka turned to look at him, feeling the stare, and shrugged at the questioning expression. He understood about as much as Oishi did.

"Ne, Yumiko-san," Eiji said excitedly, "do you want to come shopping with us? We were gonna go out and get some stuff for the baby."

Yumiko smiled. "That sounds lovely, Eiji-kun."

"Nee-san..." Fuji protested, "I don't want you and Mom and all the other girls trying to tell me what to do! I, we, need to do this on our own."

"Syusuke," Yumiko whined, pouting, "I'm not going to try to take over. Don't you think you're overreacting a little?"

"No." The tensai pouted.

"Fuji, maybe it would be helpful--"

"I don't want other opinions."

Yumiko laughed silently, shoulders shaking, as Oishi tried to convince the other boy he did want and need a second opinion.

"Syusuke.." Tezuka warned as the voices rose in anger.

"What?" Fuji snapped.

"No one can tell you how to raise your child, but..." Tezuka stopped and sighed as he could see tears starting to gather in his boyfriend's blue eyes. "What's wrong?" He stood and walked over to kneel in front of the younger Fuji child.

Fuji's lip trembled as he got even more upset.

"Syusuke?"

Fuji stood up and quickly retreated to his bedroom, lock clicking after the door shut.

"Tezuka, you jerk!" Eiji hissed, standing in unison with the captain.

"What exactly have I done now, Kikumaru?"

"You said Chibi wasn't yours!"

"I said no such--"

"Tezuka-kun, by telling Syusuke it was his child, you said that you didn't want any part of it. At least, that's how he will see it. I know you love my little brother, and I've trusted you with him, and you've taken good care of him so far." The woman set her teacup down and stood. "I have to go now. I will talk to you soon, Tezuka-kun." She looked towards the golden pair. "Oishi-kun, Eiji."

"I'll go talk to Fuji," Eiji said, starting down the hall, but Tezuka grabbed his wrist.

"I'll talk to him. It's my fault he thinks I don't..." Tezuka trailed off.

"You'll probably just upset him more," Eiji snapped.

"Eiji!" Oishi scolded. "Don't make Tezuka feel worse than he already does."

"Well, he should feel bad, nya! He keeps acting like the baby's a burden!"

"I don't think that at all," Tezuka said hotly.

"Eiji," Oishi said quietly, "let Tezuka talk to Fuji, okay?"

"But--" Eiji pouted, then sighed. "Fine. But if you make him more sad, I'll never ever forgive you."

Tezuka didn't reply, just pushed past the Golden Pair and went down the hall to the bathroom door. He knocked. "Syusuke?"

"Go away."

"Syusuke, please let me in."

"No. I don't want to talk to you."

Tezuka sighed. "Syusuke, I can always get a screwdriver and take out the doorknob. Or we can do this the easy way."

There were angry footsteps towards the door before it opened. Fuji stuck his head out and growled, "Go. Away."

Tezuka put a hand on the door and wedged his foot between it and the door frame. "Can we talk?"

"No. You've made it quite clear how you feel about the whole situation. Go away." Fuji tried to close the door.

Tezuka ignored the displeasure of his foot and pushed the door open enough to enter, shutting and re-locking it behind him.

Fuji sat on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest, glaring up at Tezuka. Tezuka sighed and sat next to him, putting his hand lightly on Fuji's knee. Fuji jerked away from him.

"Syusuke, please, listen to me."

Fuji said nothing.

"I do want the baby," Tezuka started, ignoring Fuji's disbelieving snort. "I want to be by your side through the pregnancy, I want to be in the baby's life, and I want more than anything to be its father."

"You are, Mitsu," Fuji said softly. "Why can't you understand that? Whether you're the biological father or not, you're the one who will change its diapers and feed it and rock it to sleep."

"So will Oishi and Kikumaru," Tezuka pointed out.

"So will everyone else at some point or another, but you're his or her dad, Mitsu. You're a dad right now and you will be from now on, no matter what. Even if Eiji or Oishi is the biological father..." He buried his face in his knees.

"Syusuke," Tezuka started, "you know I'm not good at these sorts of things..." He moved to sit in front of the pregnant tensai. "I'm sorry for being so..."

"Stupid? Pig-headed? Selfish? Insensitive?" Fuji filled.

"I'm sorry I'm not able to cope with complicated, life-altering situations like you are."

Fuji snorted.

"I'm serious. You're taking this completely in stride."

"Well it's not like I can do anything about it. I am having a baby, as are you, and maybe Eiji and Oishi, and I can either get upset and panic or I can accept it and make the best of things." Fuji turned his head to the side.

"I'm trying. Like I said, I want the baby to be mine more than anything, and even though I know I'll still be involved, it's... it didn't seem like it would be the same." Tezuka sighed. "It sounds terribly childish, but I don't want to share you or the baby."

Fuji chuckled. "I guarantee that no matter whose the baby is, you'll at least be sharing with Eiji."

Tezuka rolled his eyes. "Anyone within the nine of us who has a baby has to share it with Kikumaru."

"Precisely, so you can't get too mad at him."

"I know, it's just, he's so happy about it, and if it is really his..."

"Eiji will let you spend just as much time with him or her as he does. You really don't give him enough credit sometimes, Mitsu. Eiji is quite perceptive."

"I know."

"Aww!" Fuji cooed, crossing his legs and leaning forward to poke Tezuka's cheek, "Tezuka's scared someone other than me can see right through him. That's so cute."

"Who's being mean now?"

"I'm not being mean. I'm being playful."

Tezuka grunted, not amused, and an awkward silence followed. Fuji pulled his legs back up.

"You know, Mitsu," Fuji said quietly, "I know I might seem sort of disaffected about all of this, but it's not like I wanted this to happen."

"I know that, Syusuke."

"Then don't act like it's my fault."

"I didn't."

"You did. You're being so aloof and calling it my child--it makes me feel awful, and I feel like you're punishing me."

"I'm sorry, Syusuke."

"Did Nee-san leave?"

"Yes."

There was another short silence, and Tezuka carded his hand through his hair..

"Kunimitsu?"

"Yeah?" Tezuka looked up hopefully.

"I'm sorry too."

"Why?"

"Because I'm punishing you too. I 've tried to make you accept this and I know you don't adjust well to... things like this." Fuji looked up at Tezuka guiltily.

Tezuka shook his head. "No, Syusuke, I don't feel like you're punishing me. You have every right to be upset that I haven't fully accepted this yet. You're my fiancé, and I should be supportive of you no matter what. Besides, it's not like you cheated on me... We all knew what we were doing that weekend."

Fuji looked at Tezuka for a moment, then crawled into the former captain's lap. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"And no more of this 'your baby' business, okay? This is our baby, and I don't want to hear you say otherwise."

Tezuka smiled. Fuji smiled back until his stomach growled. The tensai glared down at his abdomen.

"It seems that my fiancé and our baby are hungry, and I'm sure Oishi and Kikumaru are getting anxious. Still feel up to shopping?"

Fuji nodded. "Just give me a minute to wash my face, don't want Eiji to kill you."

Tezuka stood, pulling the pregnant boy with him, and continued to stand pressed against his back with his arms around the soon-to-be-expanding waist as Fuji washed his face. Fuji patted his face dry with a towel, then turned and wrapped his arms around Tezuka's neck, standing on his toes to kiss him.

"Mn... We just ate breakfast, why am I hungry?"

Tezuka shrugged. "You didn't eat much."

"Saa... Do I look as if I've been crying?"

"You look fine."

Fuji frowned, turned around and rubbed at his eyes. "I look like shit."

"You look beautiful." Tezuka murmured against the back of Fuji's neck as he leaned down to kiss it.

"Shut up. I do not." The younger man studied himself in the mirror for a moment. "How embarrassed would you be if I wore girls clothes today while shopping?"

"I wouldn't?"

"Good because I don't think I could stand to go out in public today without makeup. Girls are so lucky. They never have to worry about looking like crap, they can just cover it all up with makeup..." Fuji started muttering to himself.

"That's hardly necessary, Syusuke. You can hardly tell you were crying."

"Mitsu, don't try to make me feel pretty, I don't feel pretty, I'm wearing makeup."

"Okay." Tezuka kissed Fuji's cheek. "Get changed, then. I'll see you in the living room?"

Fuji nodded, and Tezuka slipped out of the bathroom.

"Is Fujiko okay?" Eiji demanded as Tezuka entered the kitchen.

"He's fine," Tezuka replied. "He's changing into girls' clothes... He says he looks terrible because he was crying, and he wants to wear makeup."

Eiji hopped up from the kitchen table and punched Tezuka in the shoulder. "You made him cry, you big jerk?!" Eiji pulled his arm back for another punch, which Tezuka caught sine he was expecting it.

"Eiji! What are you--" Oishi was cut off..

"I deserved that," Tezuka said calmly.

Eiji looked confused, but less angry. "You better have apologized."

"I did," Tezuka sighed, "and I'm sorry I've been so uptight about the whole thing, Kikumaru."

"Eiji?" Fuji had moved into the bedroom after doing his makeup, "What should I wear?"

"Hold on, Fujiko!" Eiji fixed his former captain with a gauging look. "I'm sorry too. I know you're not good at sharing." He smirked and sidestepped Tezuka to help Fuji pick out an outfit.

Oishi gave Tezuka an apologetic look. "You know how Eiji is. He's so protective of Fuji."

"I know. But he's right. And I did deserve it. I haven' t been fair to Syusuke--any of you--since we found out. I've been selfish."

"Ne, Tezuka, don't say that," Oishi said uneasily. "This is definitely harder on you than it is on Eiji or me. If I found out Eiji might be having someone else's baby... I probably would've taken it much worse than you've been."

Tezuka shrugged. "They're both right though. It'll just be harder in the long run if we don't take this in stride now."

"I guess you're right... It's not like we'll win any arguments with them over it anyways." Oishi laughed slightly.

"I feel so much better." Fuji came out of their room, arm linked with his best friend's. He wore a khaki skirt and a white blouse under a red sweater, in the hand that wasn't through Eiji's arm he held a pair of small red ballet flats.

"So, do you just want to shop around at the stores in the mall?" Eiji addressed the group.

Fuji nodded. "That way we can stop by the food court, I'm starving." He rubbed his stomach. "I knew you were going to be a troublemaker," he mumbled affectionately.

--

(One week later)

Tezuka did not want to do this.

He would never keep anything from his parents, of course, especially the fact that they might be getting a grandchild. But it was the "might" part he really didn't want to discuss. Because if he didn't tell them why there was only a thirty-three percent chance the baby was his, they would think Fuji had cheated on him. And discussing his sex life with his parents--especially when it involved something as... wild as a foursome--wasn't exactly something he was comfortable with.

Tezuka's father had never discussed sex with him. Nor had his mother. He'd been mostly unaware of sex in general until he'd started dating Fuji, at which point the only thing his mother said was, "Please, Kunimitsu, please wait until you're married," and his father said, "It'd be nice if you listened to your mother, but you probably won't, so here's a thousand yen. Go stock up on condoms." And, well, that had been that, really.

Needless to say, his parents weren't especially vocal on the issue, and Tezuka had only ever been comfortable talking about it with Fuji--and, more recently, Oishi and Kikumaru.

No, Tezuka did not want to do this, but the hand insistently tugging him up the steps to his childhood house's front door didn't seem to care.

"Coming, Mitsu?"

"Oh, Kunimitsu, Fuji-kun, You're here!" Ayana threw open the door before Fuji could knock. "I just finished making tea! Come in!" The perky woman ushered the young couple in and sat them down in the living room around a coffee table.

"Well," she sat down across from them, "what is it you need to tell me?"

"Ayana-san, I think you may want to ask your husband and Tezuka-san to join us..." Fuji suggested.

Ayana's brows furrowed by she padded softly upstairs to track down the men.

Tezuka paled. He certainly didn't want to discuss his sex life with his grandfather! What if it gave the man a heart attack!? Tezuka didn't even know how old he was, and-- His panicked thoughts stopped as Fuji looked up at him for assurance, letting out a shuddery breath.

As frightened as Tezuka was he managed to intertwine their fingers where their hands met in the small space between them. He leaned over to press a kiss to Fuji's temple and pulled away just as his mother returned with his father and grandfather.

Tezuka looked at his parents and grandfather for a long moment, deciding how best to go about this. He looked at Fuji, who smiled encouragingly, and breathed deeply through his nose. "Mother, Father, Grandfather... Syusuke is pregnant."

Ayana clapped her hands together, face lighting up with joy. "I knew it!" she proclaimed, getting up from her seat and hugging them both. "I'm so happy for you, and to finally be getting a grandchild--"

"Mother," Tezuka said cautiously, "there's something else we need to tell you."

"Oh? What is it, dear?" Ayana sat back down next to her husband.

"I..." Tezuka paused. "A couple months ago... around the time, ah, the baby was conceived, we..." Tezuka closed his eyes. "We spent... a weekend with Oishi and Kikumaru at a cabin in the woods, and..."

"What Mitsu's trying to say," Fuji interrupted, "is that... well, we are teenagers. And teenagers like to... experiment in the bedroom sometimes. And teenagers are also occasionally very irresponsible and don't use protection."

Kuniharu blinked. "What are you saying, Fuji-kun?"

"The baby might not be mine," Tezuka said quickly.

Tezuka didn't ever think he'd seen his family look so dumbstruck in his life.

"Oh..." Ayana's voice was noticeably less perky. "Well...What do you plan to do if it isn't?"

Tezuka caught both questions in her words. He chose not to answer the underlying one. They wouldn't split just so the child could be raised by its biological parents as a couple. The notion was ludicrous. "We have already discussed things with Oishi and Kikumaru and, should either of them be the father, then all four of us will be his or her parents."

"Kunimitsu, isn't that awfully idealistic?" his father asked.

"Well... perhaps," Tezuka said uneasily. "But not any more idealistic than divorced parents remarrying other people. We'll still live separately, of course, and have joint custody of the baby."

His parents still looked doubtful. "Kunimitsu," Ayana said tentatively, "wouldn't it be more practical to--"

"I know what you're thinking, Mother," Tezuka said quietly, "and I'm sorry, but no, I don't think it would be more practical for this child to be raised by two people who don't want to be together. The plan we have now may be a bit dysfunctional, but it's infinitely better than putting our baby in an unhappy household."

"But--" The older couple started at the same time.

"Kunimistu is doing very well, dealing with this so calmly. Don't you think, Kuniharu?" Tezuka's grandfather spoke, "Kunimitsu and Fuji-kun are both responsible young boys who have shown that they can support themselves on their own. I think they will make very good parents."

"But, if it's not Kunimitsu's--"

"You haven't been listening to them, Ayana-chan. Kunimitsu will be a father no matter what." He stood up and patted his grandson's shoulder then slowly exited the room.

"Regardless," Ayana said, "the manner in which this baby came to be doesn't exactly make you two out to be the pinnacle of responsibility."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ayana," Kuniharu said exasperatedly. "Kunimitsu is incredibly responsible. Like Fuji-kun said, teenagers are prone to experimentation, but you know the boys. They're being given a huge responsibility in having a baby, and they'll work as hard as they can to do the best they can." Kuniharu smiled at them. "But don't let this happen again."

"Oh, no, sir," Fuji said, shaking his head. "We've learned our lesson. No more orgies--ow, Mitsu, that hurt!"

"Kunimitsu, be nice to Fuji-kun, he's pregnant!" Ayana scolded.

"I just pinched him."

"You're lucky I didn't make any 'pinnacle of perfection' jokes after your mother's comment, Kunimitsu." Fuji smiled to himself as they left the Tezuka household.

Tezuka grunted his displeasure and followed the tensai, who was hopping down the steps merrily.

"Anyways, we're supposed to meet Oishi and Eiji for lunch before we head over to their houses to explain."

"Whose idea was it to do this all in one day?"

"Eiji's, it makes sense though. We need to tell them all and it's better to just get it all done and over with at once."

--

Ayana finished cleaning up the teacups and saucers before she picked up the phone. Waiting for the line to pick up, she wiped her hands on her skirt absent mindedly.

"Hello?" A girl's voice asked.

"Hello, Oishi-chan, is your mother there? It's Ayana."


	3. Attack of the Conservatives

A/N: I am eighteen! *cheers* And Ohayocon was awesome.

Disclaimer: Is not ours. But Katie now owns a Fuji figurine! Does that count for something?

Chapter 3: Attack of the Conservatives

"Fujiko!" Eiji picked up the tensai, spinning around in a circle before setting him down. "How's Chibi, what did they say? Were they mad?"

Fuji laughed at his friend's antics. "Slow down. We'll explain everything once we've been seated."

Once they were crowded together in a booth toward the back of the restaurant, Eiji started in again. "What'd they say, Fujiko?"

"Well, at first they weren't thrilled," Fuji said slowly. "They thought that the arrangements we have planned if the baby isn't Mitsu's were too idealistic. But Kunikazu-san managed to convince them in the end." Fuji smiled at Tezuka. "Have I ever told you how much I adore your grandfather?"

Tezuka made a noncommittal noise as their waitress appeared. When she left after taking their drink orders, Fuji continued, "Kunikazu-san made the point that Mitsu will still be the baby's father no matter what, and then Ayana-san basically said she didn't think we were responsible enough to be parents considering the fact that the baby has three possible fathers, and Kuniharu-san made her realize what a silly thing it was to say since they have Kunimitsu for a son."

"Don't call my mother silly."

"Oh, I didn't mean to. I think she was just being, well, a mother. She doesn't want you to get hurt."

The waitress returned with their drinks and left to let them look over the menu for a few more minutes.

"Ne, do you think they'll put Nutella on a veggie burger if I ask them?"

"Fujiko," Eiji grimaced, "Won't that... make you feel sick?"

"He was eating rice mixed with strawberry jam, carrots, and soy sauce yesterday when I got home from work and was fine," Tezuka replied.

"Do you think they'd do that for me too?"

Oishi paled. "I don't think they make specific dishes by request, Fuji..."

"Hmm... Maybe Spaghetti then...." the tensai thought out loud.

_At least that's fairly normal,_ Tezuka thought.

"And, ooh, they have sundaes, do you think they'd bring me a bottle of chocolate syrup for the spaghetti if I asked?"

"Er--maybe," Eiji said, smiling unconvincingly.

Fuji eyed them curiously. "Why do you all look so... green?"

The other three looked away quickly, going back to their menus.

After they ordered, Tezuka tracked down the waitress on the way to his place of salvation, the restroom, and promised to double the tip if she didn't give in to any of the pregnant man's cravings. They ate, Fuji rather disappointed that it was against company policy to allow pregnant people to indulge in their food cravings as it made other nearby customers feel ill, and left, Tezuka slipping the promised extra tip under the edge of his plate.

"We're going to your parents' first, right, Eiji?"

"Mhm! And my brothers and sisters are all home from college this weekend so we can tell them too!"

Tezuka rolled his eyes. Was that really necessary?

The Kikumaru house was practically humming with activity when the four of them arrived. Tezuka seemed to be the only one who was uncomfortable; Fuji and Oishi had obviously been here a lot when they were in junior high and high school and knew everyone in the family, so they received hugs and caught up with Eiji's siblings while Tezuka stood awkwardly to the side, hoping they could get down to business soon.

This being the Kikumaru family, though, of course Tezuka should have expected that they wouldn't even get everyone in the living room for half an hour, and it would be a further ten minutes before everyone was quiet enough for Fuji to talk.

"So what's the big news, Fuji-kun?" Eiji's mother asked when the family was finally seated in the multitude of furniture around the room.

"Well," Fuji said, glancing at Eiji, who was bouncing in his seat, "Eiji's obviously very excited, so he can tell you."

"I might be a daddy!"

Tezuka could imagine the same confidently happy posture and expression being present when Kikumaru had given pictures to his mother to hang on the refrigerator as a small child. It was rather endearing, though not exactly appropriate.

Eiji's oldest sister choked on her beverage, while his oldest brother held a hand out to the middle brother, in which a few bills were placed. The youngest sister blushed brightly.

"Might?" his father asked.

Eiji nodded. "It's me or Oishi or Tezuka, but we won't know until the baby's born because Fujiko doesn't want to get the tests done now because they're 'invasive and put the baby's health at risk,'" he babbled.

"Fuji-kun, you didn't--" Eiji's mother started to look disappointedly upset.

"No! I would never cheat on Kunimitsu, never ever. We had a foursome."

Oishi blushed at Fuji's bluntness.

"Oh, well, that's okay then." Her face returned to a smile.

"Nya, Mom," Eiji said, obviously annoyed, "Oishi and I wouldn't cheat on each other either! Duh."

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

"When's the baby due, Fuji-kun?" Eiji's younger sister asked.

"Oh... I don't know, exactly," Fuji replied. "I haven't been to see a doctor yet, besides going to a clinic to find out if I was pregnant. But I know it's sometime in the summer."

"You better get on that soon," Eiji's mother scolded. "I want you to have a healthy baby, whether it's my grandchild or not. You're like a fourth son to us, Fuji-kun."

Fuji smiled brightly. "I'll contact a doctor tomorrow, Emi-san."

"Good--" She started to say something else but was cut off by the phone ringing. "Oh, I'll get that. Hold on." She left to go hunt down the phone, which could never seem to find its way back to the base.

"So, this happened on your trip then?" the older of the Kikumaru girls asked, twirling a piece of hair.

"Yeah, how'd you figure?"

"Well, if Fuji-kun's two months along then that would be the only opportunity to, well... You certainly couldn't have gotten away with it at any of your houses. Poor Ryuzaki-sensei," she teased.

"Nee-san," her little sister whined, "I know you like it, but I don't want to think about my baby brother having an orgy! That's gross."

"It's not like you've never done it, Nee-san," Eiji retorted.

The older girl's face flushed to match her hair.

"Nee-san? You?"

"Mika-chan?" The older sister looked down at the younger from her perch on the chair's arm rest.

Their dad sighed. "I swear, they get this from their mother, not me."

"You were totally a swinger back in the day, Dad." The eldest of the siblings grinned snarkily.

"Mental images!" The middle son tugged a his hair.

At that point their mother came back into the room. "That was Oishi-kun's mother. She is rather....distraught." She bit her lip.

Oishi frowned. "Why? Is everything okay?"

"It seems Tezuka-kun's mother phoned her earlier and told her about the situation with the baby," she explained. "Oishi-kun, you haven't told her yet?"

"Well... no... We were going to tell them right after we told you all. Oh, I knew she'd take the news badly, she and my father are so rigid about rules and propriety--"

"Ne, Oishi, calm down," Eiji murmured, squeezing Oishi's hand. "We'll just go over and explain everything, and--"

"Eiji, you know how my parents are. They don't even think we--" Oishi flushed. "And now they're going to find out about what we did, and... God, they'll probably disown me!"

"That's silly, Oishi-kun. They're your parents. They knew it would happen someday."

Oishi buried his face in his hands at Eiji's mother's words.

"Let's go now, the sooner there is damage control, the better." Fuji stood.

"I agree, you boys should go now." There was another round of hugging before they were shooed out the door, but not before Eiji's mom took Oishi aside to tell him that, if there were any problems, she and her husband thought of him as their son too and he was always welcome in their home.

"Thank you." Oishi blushed as the woman hugged him tightly.

Fuji and Eiji both mothered Oishi the whole way to his house, telling him that everything would be fine and that they would make his parents see reason if they got too mad.

Tezuka had to scoff at that. Neither the tensai nor the acrobat would know reason if it lit them on fire. He glanced at Oishi and couldn't help but feel bad. He had strict upbringings too, but they weren't nearly as traditional as Oishi's "perfect" family.

Tezuka parked in the Oishis' driveway. He, Fuji, and Kikumaru had to literally drag Oishi up to the front door.

Oishi's father came to the door a few seconds after Fuji rang the bell. He had a stern, almost angry look on his face as he led the four of them into the living room, where Oishi's mother was.

There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Finally, Oishi's mother spoke. "Well?"

"I--" Oishi's voice died in his throat. "I'm sorry."

"Being sorry doesn't change this, Shuuichiro," his father snapped. "It doesn't change the fact that you may be having a child out of wedlock with someone other than your fiancé, or that you participated in all manner of sexual deviancy--we raised you better than this!"

"I--" Oishi tried again.

"And what about the example you're setting for your sister! You're moving back into this house, where we can watch you, Shuuichiro!" His father's voice rose.

"You can't do that! He's a grown up!" Eiji's temper flared and he stood.

"Eiji." Oishi tried to pull his boyfriend back into his seat, voice pleading.

Fuji touched Eiji's other arm lightly. "Eiji, sit down."

"No! They can't do that, Fujiko! Oishi's a grown up, and they can't tell him what to do anymore!"

"Kikumaru, he was underage when this," Oishi's father gestured vaguely at Fuji, "happened. No less during a supervised trip! Obviously we can't trust Shuuichiro to be responsible without us watching over his shoulder."

Tezuka frowned. "Oishi-san, I hardly think that's fair. Oishi is the most responsible--"

Oishi's mother started, "And we expected more of you, Tezuka-kun. To participate in such a filthy act--"

"Mother!"

"What?"

"Don't insult--"

"She's right, Shuuichiro!"

"ENOUGH!" Fuji shouted. "You two think sex is this terrible, disgusting thing, but it's not! Sex is natural and fun, and--as long as you do it responsibly, which admittedly we weren't being entirely responsible when this happened, there's nothing wrong with it, no matter how many people you're doing it with. And this baby--it wasn't planned, but it may be your grandchild, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about that!"

"There most certainly is," Oishi's father said coldly. "It's no grandchild of mine, because Shuuichiro, as of this moment I can no longer call you my son. Your actions are inexcusable, and you clearly have no intention of cutting ties with these people or of rectifying your behavior."

"Father--Father, how could I possibly cut ties with them? Tezuka's been my best friend since I was twelve, Eiji and I are getting married, and Fuji might be having my baby--and I--" Oishi paused, breathing in deeply. "I don't think there's anything wrong with what we did. I think on that trip... we all grew up a bit, because we experienced what it was like to be intimate with someone besides the person you love, and we realized it wasn't what we wanted, and it's good that we found that out! Because it's better than wondering for your whole lives and--and having affairs like you two have done!"

Oishi's parents stared at him in shock.

"Let's go, guys." Oishi stood and left, tugging Eiji after him. Fuji was quick to follow. Tezuka bowed to the couple before leaving too.

They heard shouting as soon as the front door was closed.

"That was..."

"That was stupid of me," Oishi said.

"That was incredibly brave, Oishi." Fuji smiled and hugged the former vice-captain. He glanced at Tezuka questioningly. "Will you guys stay over tonight?"

"Could we?" Oishi wrapped an arm around Fuji, and the other around Eiji, who was hugging him from the other side.

Tezuka nodded. "Syusuke will need to set up a doctor's appointment when we get back, and you two should come, so it'd be best to find a time that works for all of us."

"Thank you," Oishi mumbled.

"Ne, Oishi..." Eiji stood on his toes to kiss Oishi's cheek. "I'm sure they'll get over it eventually... I mean, if the baby's not yours they won't care as much, and if the baby is yours, maybe your father will change his mind..."

"I... It doesn't matter, Eiji," Oishi said firmly. "If they're going to be this way... I don't need them, and I don't want them around what might be my child."

"Let's go," Tezuka said quietly. He opened both of the side doors and walked around to the driver's side. Eiji and Oishi climbed into the back, and Fuji took the passenger's seat. When they got to the apartment, Fuji first called his mother, asking if it was okay that they come over tomorrow rather than this evening to talk, and then an obstetrician to set up an appointment the following afternoon.

They spent the rest of the evening quietly talking between dinner and showers.

"Mitsu," Fuji said quietly as they laid down.

Tezuka sighed, knowing what was coming. "Go on."

"I love you." Fuji turned over and planted a kiss on the taller brunette's lips before leaving. He returned a few minutes later with a sleepy Eiji and a drained Oishi in tow.

They all got situated quickly. Tezuka to the far right with his back to the door, Fuji pressed close to his chest, Oishi near the middle of the bed on his back, Fuji snuggled to one side and Eiji half on top of his other on the left side of the bed.

When Kikumaru's breathing evened out and Tezuka was mostly sure Fuji wasn't feigning sleep, Tezuka whispered, "Oishi."

Oishi's eyes cracked open. "Hm?"

"We'll find a way to make things right. So don't let your guard down."

Oishi chuckled quietly. "Yes, Buchou."


	4. Shenanigans Are a Foot

A/N: This chapter will be a little easier to understand if you read "Unspoken" first, but it's not totally necessary. It might also be good to read chapter 10 of The Notebook.

We encourage you to watch Big Windup. Support your dubbers! Mostly we don't like dubs, but we _love _Funimation, and you can watch the whole first season of Big Windup on . DO IT.

There is a helicopter in this chapter, and Scarlet chose to use the word "chopper," and the whole time I was editing it this morning I kept imagining Atobe screaming "GET TO THE CHOPPA!" and it was really, really terrible.

Chapter title is misspelled on purpose.

Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize. We do own the kid and Fuji's doctor.

Warnings: Slight slight _slight _yuri. Very slight.

Chapter 4: Shenanigans Are a Foot

Tezuka had never seen Fuji this excited. Not to say that Fuji wasn't a generally happy, pleasant person--unless you hurt someone he cared about, but then he still seemed happy and pleasant as he systematically destroyed your sanity--but he was never bouncy or excessively talkative like Kikumaru.

He was today.

"Aren't you just so excited, Mitsu?" he chattered. "I can't believe today we get to find out what the baby is!" The tensai jumped down from the ledge he'd been walking on that separated the sidewalk from the residential yard it bordered and spun, latching onto Tezuka's arm.

"We can start talking seriously about names now, and buy gender-specific things for the baby, and decorate the nursery!"

Tezuka yanked Fuji back onto the curb as the crosswalk they came to changed to read "Don't Walk."

"I can't believe it. It's really going so fast..." Fuji smiled up at Tezuka.

The captain smiled back. He was excited too. Just not quite so much.

"Mom and Yumiko are starting to be worried that I'm not showing very much. Mom says it's not normal, but I keep telling her that the doctor says it's fine since I'm petite and it's my first. I'm just glad I haven't had to do too much maternity shopping yet. Besides, I'm not getting stretch marks this way!" Fuji took Tezuka's hand and skipped across the street, now that it said "Walk."

Tezuka didn't mention that Fuji had stolen a pair of his little brother's jeans last week and a sweater of Yumiko's the week before that. That would be insensitive of him, and the tensai really wasn't showing much at all for being five months along, just a small swell.

Oishi and Kikumaru were already waiting outside the doctor's office when Tezuka and Fuji arrived. Kikumaru's face lit up when he saw them, and he ran to Fuji, swinging the tensai in a circle before putting him down, squatting, lifting up his t-shirt, and blowing a raspberry on Fuji's belly.

"Hi, Chibi!" he exclaimed, nuzzling the bump.

Fuji giggled. "Ne, it kicked, Eiji. Can you feel yet?"

"Really?" Eiji pouted. "I didn't feel anything."

"You should be able to within the next few weeks," Fuji said as Eiji got to his feet. "I looked on the internet and most people said they could feel it around twenty-three weeks, but there were some who said it was as early as nineteen or twenty..."

"I can't wait!" He nuzzled the tensai's stomach once more before righting himself.

"We checked you in." Oishi hugged Fuji.

"Thanks."

"Fuji Syusuke?" the nurse called into the waiting room.

"Let's go!" Eiji tugged his friend towards the door.

Tezuka leaned against the wall outside the doctor's room, Eiji to his left and Oishi on the other side of the acrobat. Fuji kicked them out to change into the "horribly patterned gown that at one point in time was curtains in an elderly woman's home."

"I don't see why he makes you wait out here." The OB/GYN walked up to the door and knocked. "Fuji-kun, are you ready?"

"Yes, Yamato-sensei."

Yamato-sensei was the doctor that both Fuji's and Kikumaru's mothers recommended. She was a middle-aged woman that reminded Tezuka of a nicer, more motherly Ryuuzaki-sensei. The doctor opened the door, letting the boys in before she followed.

"How has everything been?"

"Good. My mother keeps worrying that I'm not showing as much as she did, but nothing other than that."

"No heartburn?"

"Not except for things that have always given me heartburn."

She smiled. "Constipation? Pelvic pain? Anything abnormal at all?"

"Nope."

"Has the baby started moving?"

"Yeah, but they can't feel it yet." Fuji put a hand on his stomach fondly.

"They will soon enough. You don't get queasy do you? I know your mother didn't, but Yumiko does, so..." She turned to the cabinet on the wall to get a few test tubes and a needle.

"Yumiko had to get blood drawn? She wasn't getting tested to see if she was pregnant, was she?"

"No, nothing like that. It was a few years ago now, but I'm really not supposed to talk about it, Fuji-kun. Patient confidentiality and all that."

Fuji nodded and held out his arm for her.

--

"I guess we'll just have to wait until next time."

Eiji pouted. "Well, Chibi is definitely Fujiko's, doesn't wanna cooperate with anything!"

The baby hadn't let them see its front at all. The only time it had been facing towards them was when it kicked at the transducer. After that it turned away and curled into fetal position.

"Maybe it's not yours, since it doesn't like having its picture taken." Fuji looked irritatedly at the picture in his hand. A foot.

"Syusuke, you'll find out eventually."

"You probably just jinxed it, Tezuka." Eiji mock-glared.

"Well, you will no matter what, technically," Oishi said. "When the baby's born."

Eiji and Fuji groaned in unison.

"That's way too long, nya!"

"I can't wait another four months!"

"I was just... saying..." Oishi said feebly. "I'm sure we'll find out next time."

"We'd better," Fuji muttered. "Do you hear that, Chibi? Mommy will be so mad at you if you do this again!"

He felt a light kick directed at his bladder and whined.

"Syusuke?"

"It hates me..." He pouted, though was relieved when the pressure moved from his bladder.

"Chibi can't hate you, Fujiko, he or she has to live with you for another four months!"

"You'll have plenty of chances to find out, Syusuke. After next month's visit, you'll start visiting almost every week." Tezuka put a hand on the tensai's lower back.

Fuji put his head on Tezuka's shoulder as they walked down the street.

"I guess we won't be shopping for paint today after all." Fuji sighed.

"You guys don't even have the stuff moved out of the nursery yet," Oishi pointed out.

"We were going to go shopping for paint?"

"Yes?" Fuji looked up at Tezuka sheepishly. Tezuka shook his head.

--

Fuji took a breath as he knocked on his sister's door.

"Fuji-sempai?" It was Sakuno who answered the door. Apparently Seishun High had started. She was in her uniform.

"Sakuno-chan, um... is Yumiko here? If it's a bad time, I can come back later..."

"No, come in, Yumiko-san is making tea." She opened the door to let him in.

Fuji entered the small apartment and shrugged out of his coat, hanging it on a hook and slipping off his shoes.

"Yumiko-san, your brother is here."

"Syusuke?" Yumiko came out of the kitchen. The tray in her hands had three tea cups on it. "Sit, sit." She shooed him and Sakuno into the living room.

"I wanted to ask you something..."

"Ask away." Yumiko smiled brightly.

"When I went to the doctor's this week, Yamato-sensei asked me if I was squeamish because Mom wasn't and you are. Why did you get your blood drawn, Nee-san?" Fuji's fingers twitched around the teacup in his hands.

"Syusuke, that was years ago. Sakuno and I both went and got our blood drawn. I get tested for everything every time I get a new partner. Sakuno-chan thought it would be a good idea to get herself tested too."

"For... STDs?"

Yumiko nodded, hand twining around the smaller girl's waist.

"You've only ever been with Tezuka-kun, and Oishi-kun and Kikumaru-kun, but you know they're all clean for sure. I'm twenty-five. I've had quite a few partners."

Sakuno's face grew steadily more red as Yumiko spoke.

"Yu-Yumiko-san, I should probably head home now." She flushed brightly, bowing and scampering towards the door.

Yumiko smiled as she heard Sakuno trip putting her shoes on. "I'll be back," she said softly. She left the room and the younger Fuji sibling could hear a squeak of surprise and soft whispering. The door opened and closed and his sister returned.

"Yumiko-_san_?"

"She's so adorable, but incredibly intimidated by you." Yumiko's smile was amused.

"She didn't seem entirely comfortable talking about how many partners you've had, either," Fuji pointed out.

"Well, she is so much younger than me," Yumiko said with a shrug. "This is her first serious relationship, which is... trying, but worth it. Sakuno-chan is very attentive and a quick learner despite her inexperience. But she isn't fond of talking about my past relationships, no. I think it makes her feel inadequate."

Fuji looked at his sister. "Nee-san, there's something I never told you because I always thought you knew already and didn't want to say anything to make me uncomfortable. You usually know everything, but a moment ago... And normally I wouldn't bring it up, and I'm not even really sure why I am now, but... I feel like you should know, I suppose."

"What is it, Syusuke?"

"I... well, do you remember in middle school when I suddenly stopped going to Chiba to see Saeki?"

"Of course I do. It was right before you and Tezuka-kun started dating."

Fuji nodded. "Well, it was because Saeki and I had sex... and... it wasn't entirely consensual."

Time seemed to stand still for that moment as the words slammed into Yumiko. She hadn't known. She had always known for as long as she'd had her Tarot cards, and even a little bit before then and... and... Tears slipped down her face as she moved to sit next to her little brother.

"It's not your fault, Nee-san. It's okay."

"No, it's not. I should have known. I should have known and done something."

Fuji held back a sigh and shushed his sister so he could fully explain. "I wasn't raped, Nee-san. It wasn't like that, exactly... Kojiro realized how I felt about Mitsu, and he was terribly jealous and scared that I'd leave him. And then he told me that I needed to prove I wanted him more than Kunimitsu and that sex was the only way. I had no idea Mitsu had feelings for me, and I didn't want to lose Kojiro as well, so I went along with it, even though I didn't want it."

Yumiko shook her head, gathering the tensai into her arms. "Syusuke, I'm so sorry."

"Kojiro and I met a few years ago, before we started high school, and we managed to work things out. It's fine now. Mitsu and I started dating the day it happened, actually, because I didn't want to go home afterward and somehow I just showed up at his house... I told him what had happened, and that led to telling him how I felt about him." Fuji smiled. "I was such an awful boyfriend for a while, I was so jumpy and afraid of contact, but there is no one more patient in this world than my Mitsu."

Yumiko petted his hair, more to sooth herself than her brother. "Why didn't you tell us? Mom or Dad or me… I don't understand…"

"Because I know what you would've done to him. Even after that I cared about Saeki…"

"You're too nice for your own damn good sometimes, Syusuke."

Fuji's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "He said the exact same thing when we met up… Or almost the exact same thing, something to that effect anyways."

Yumiko's phone rang then.

"Are you going to answer?"

Yumiko shook her head, continuing to cradle her brother.

The answering machine went off, and Tezuka's voice filtered through the speaker. "Hello, Fuji-san, this is Tezuka. I was just wondering if Syusuke was there… He wasn't here when I got home and he didn't leave a note, but he said something about visiting you a few days ago. If you hear from him, please call me."

"Oh dear. I've gotten him all worried. He didn't say 'thank you.'"

"Why didn't you leave a note?" Yumiko asked quietly.

"I didn't think he'd be home this early. His biology professor must have canceled."

"I'll drive you home. It's starting to get dark, and I don't want you walking around…"

"Thanks, Nee-san."

Yumiko was still looking at him as if she were deciding between bursting into tears or going to Chiba to beat the living hell out of Saeki, and Fuji sighed, a little exasperated. "Nee-san, you're making me wish I hadn't told you at all. Like I said, it was a bad experience, but we were only twelve, and Kojiroh and I are both at fault. I'm fine now. It's in the past."

Yumiko wiped at her eyes impatiently. "I just wish I'd known so I could have help you…"

"I was fine, Nee-san. Eventually. I had Mitsu. Stop thinking about it, okay? Do you want to see the ultrasound picture?"

"Sure," Yumiko said rather automatically as Fuji wiggled around to reach his wallet in his back pocket. When he settled back in, she absently put the hand around his waist on his stomach. She blinked. "Ne, Syusuke..."

"Hm?"

"Did the baby just kick?"

"Mm--yes. Why?" Fuji looked down at the hand on his belly, then back up at his sister. "Did you--?"

"Yes..."

"Finally!" Fuji prodded him stomach. "It's about time you make yourself known! Nee-san, I'm going to go check my cell. Tezuka's probably been calling it non-stop."

"Okay..." Yumiko let him up, and he was quick to fish the cell phone from his jacket and return to cuddle back into his sister's arms.

"Mitsu?" he asked as their home phone picked up.

"Fujiko! Tezuka! It's Fujiko!" Eiji shouted on the other end of the line.

A rush of voices could be heard in the background. Tezuka shouted something, and it quieted.

"Syusuke?"

"Hello, Mitsu."

"Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm at Nee-san's. My phone was on silent... I'm sorry."

"Don't do that to me." Tezuka sounded relieved.

"I'm sorry, Mitsu. I thought I'd be back before you got home..."

The voices in the background started up again.

"Who is at our house?" Fuji frowned.

Yumiko was holding back amused giggling as she listened in.

"Oishi... call Atobe and tell him not to... You know.."

On cue a spot light came through Yumiko's blinds, and the whirling of helicopter blades was recognized.

"Mitsu..." Fuji growled, "if that is who I think it is, you are sleeping on the couch the rest of the week." He could practically hear Tezuka blush as he pushed up the blinds and opened the window.

"Fuji? The magnificence that is I is here to retrieve you!"

"I'm going to kill you," Fuji deadpanned into the phone and clicked it shut.

"Atobe-kun!" Yumiko leaned out the window too. "Hello!" She waved with the classic Fuji smile.

A rope ladder dropped in front of the window.

"I think I have to go home, Nee-san..." The younger sibling slipped back inside and put on his shoes and jacket. When he returned to the window, Atobe was at the end of the rope ladder, looking down Yumiko's sweater, no less.

"If you know what's good for you, Keigo, you will stop that at once."

"The magnificence that is I has no idea what you are talking about, Fuji." He held out a hand to his rival's partner.

Fuji took the hand after hugging his sister and letting her kiss his forehead. Atobe helped him up the rope ladder and into the chopper.

"The magnificence that is I did not know you were expecting. Why was the magnificence that is I not made aware of this? The magnificence that is I must throw you a shower."

Fuji tossed his head back, wishing the seat was more akin to a wall than a pillow.

"How far along are you?"

"A little over five months."

Atobe eyed him curiously. "You don't seem big enough to be five months. Are you eating right? Or perhaps your doctor is incompetent. The magnificence that is I knows someone who owes my family a favor, top notch physician, you'd be in much better hands, free of charge--"

Fuji chuckled. "That's quite all right, Atobe. My obstetrician is definitely competent. I'm carrying small because I'm a small person. The baby is perfectly healthy. And very active," he added, putting a hand on his stomach. "Chibi, that is Mommy's bladder."

"Mommy? Why on earth would you call yourself that?"

"Because we ran out of male parent names."

"Ran out?"

"Did Mitsu not tell you? There's a possibility that the baby is Eiji or Oishi's."

"No, he did not. Do tell, Fuji."

"No, Keigo."

"Are you denying the magnificence that is I blackmail material?"

"Yes." Fuji looked at the heir with slitted eyes.

"Have it your way, Syusuke." Atobe leaned back in his seat.

When the helicopter dropped them off at the apartment their team, the four other graduated former-regulars, plus Kaidoh, Momo, and Ryoma, came outside and surrounded the tensai and Atobe.

Tezuka immediately pulled Fuji into his arms, breathing a sigh of relief into his hair. "I was so worried about you."

"Well, I have something to make it up to you." Tezuka raised an eyebrow as if to say that it wasn't the time for that, and Fuji rolled his eyes. "Not sex, silly, you have such a one-track mind. Here, feel." Conveniently, the baby was still kicking away, so Fuji took Tezuka's hand and pressed it flat against his stomach.

Tezuka's eyes widened a fraction. "Syusuke... that's..."

"Your son or daughter, yes." Fuji smiled and stood on his toes to press a quick kiss to Tezuka's lips. "Nee-san felt it earlier."

"Fujikoooo~!" Eiji cried dramatically. "Don't do that to us!!!" He glomped Tezuka and Fuji.

"Hello, Eiji." Fuji removed his arms from Tezuka to hug Eiji back.

The red head gasped as their stomachs pressed together and small pattering kicks landed against his tummy. "Chibi's kicking tickles, nya! Oishi, feel!" He grabbed Oishi's hand and pressed it against Fuji.

"Can we feel, Fuji-sempai?" Momo squirmed in a rather puppy-like manner as he watched.

"Of course, Momo." Soon there were more hands on him than could fit his small pregnant belly.

"Chibi's not kicking any more..." Eiji whined.

"No, it's asleep and using my bladder as a pillow again!" Fuji excused himself and ducked inside.

"Thank you, Atobe."

"Of course, Tezuka. If you need anything, please alert the magnificence that is I." Atobe walked down the stairs to his limo and left.

Fuji returned from the bathroom a moment later, frowning at the congregation of his teammates. "Mitsu, I can't believe you called in a whole search party... I've barely been gone three hours."

"I had no way of knowing how long you'd been gone when I got home," Tezuka said defensively. "Anyway, I didn't call them all. I called Kikumaru and Oishi for obvious reasons, but Kikumaru called everyone else."

"I told him not to," Oishi added.

"Nya, don't be mean," Eiji whined. "I was worried, and Inui always knows where everyone is!"

"I have been meaning to come over anyways. I wish to collect data on your pregnancy." Inui appeared behind Eiji, making the redhead jump.

"Inui! Don't do that!" he shouted, now attached to Oishi's side.

"Sadaharu." Kaidoh appeared behind Inui.

"Eh....Yes?" Inui turned around, hiding his notebooks behind his back.

Kaidoh stared at him expectantly.

Inui sighed. "Fine..."

Fuji giggled. It seemed Kaidoh had finally gotten a leash on Inui.

"Momo-sempai, can we go?"

"But Ryoma!!!" Momo whined, "We haven't seen the sempai-tachi in forever!"

"Inui-sempai and Kaidoh-sempai are leaving--"

"Who wants to spend time with the Mamushi anyway? Come on, don't be a brat."

Ryoma gave him the sort of look that said 'You're forgetting again that I can withhold sex from you, aren't you?'

Fuji suddenly had Ryoma and Kaidoh in an embrace, an arm around each of them. "I taught you both so well!"

Ryoma pushed at the arm around his waist. "Get off, Fuji-sempai." Kaidoh blushed, but didn't push away, and was rewarded for his lack of effort when Fuji released him and hung himself around Ryoma's neck in a hug.

"Echizen is so mean to his sempais..." The tensai sniffled dramatically.

"Get off."

"Ryoma, don't be mean to Fuji-sempai! He's pregnant! You can't be mean to pregnant people!" Momo pinched his cheek.

Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Momo-sempai. If you think Fuji-sempai can't handle it..."

Fuji saw Ryoma's expression and smiled to himself. "Ne, Momo," he said, trying to sound hurt, "do you really think I'm so weak that my emotions would be that fragile?"

"Er--what?" Momo shook his head frantically, clearly terrified that Fuji would exact some sort of horrible punishment on him. "No--I just mean--that, well, no, I don't think that at all!"

The rest of the team laughed at Momo's expense. Eventually they all left, and Fuji was left alone with Tezuka, who insisted on being less than an arms-length away from him the rest of the night. They fell asleep with their stomachs pressed together, small smatterings of movement being felt every so often.

A/N: The whole "Magnificence that is I" thing was stolen from a fic Scarlet read. She will find it and link it later.


	5. Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

A/N: We're in the home stretch, everyone. Just one more chapter to go after this.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to Konomi-sensei; Fuji's baby (whose name and gender you will find out in this chapter) is ours, as well as Fuji's doctor. We also own Ryomoka.

Warnings: Kind of angst, I guess. There are quite a few references to The Notebook in this chapter (the fic Off the Spirals are based on, not the movie), including a cameo by our OC Ryomoka, Tomoka's little sister.

Chapter 5 - Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

"Let's try this again." Yamato-sensei moved the transducer over the rounded stomach.

"Please let Mommy know this time. I really want to start on your bedroom..."

"Well, it _would _be the week Tezuka and Eiji couldn't be here." Oishi stood near Fuji's head.

"I wish they could have just skipped, stupid college classes!" Fuji pouted.

"It seems you're right, Oishi-kun. Congratulations, Fuji-kun, you're having a baby girl."

"I knew it!" Fuji said happily. "I always had a feeling, and Nee-san hinted at it but she wouldn't tell me for sure."

"Eiji will be thrilled," Oishi commented, smiling. "I think he wanted a girl."

"I did too," Fuji confessed. "I shouldn't have had a preference, but I couldn't help it. Girls are just more fun. I get to dress her up and Mitsu can still teach her tennis."

"But you'll have to chase off potential boyfriends…"

"You might have to too." Fuji stuck his tongue out at Oishi.

Oishi shrugged.

"She is going to have the cutest clothes ever!" Fuji wiggled as Yamato-sensei gave him a tissue to wipe the gel off his stomach.

--

"Mitsu?"

"Don't come in here, Syusuke. You're not supposed to be around the paint fumes."

"You have the window open, though, and I want to see." Fuji poked his head in. As soon as he'd found out, he'd gone home, Oishi in tow, and started drawing on the walls of their guest bedroom. Yellows and green and white and pink swirled around the walls with birds and butterflies and bees. It was definitely a little girl's room.

The tensai had marked which patches of swirl needed to be painted what color and sent Tezuka and Eiji in to paint while he and Oishi went to their classes. Now, just three days later, it was almost done.

"I can't believe you thought of all of this, Fujiko. It's really pretty." Eiji wiped his forehead, smudging yellow across it in the process.

"The furniture will come tomorrow and then we can get everything in place." Tezuka wiped his hands off on a towel.

Fuji nodded. "It looks really great."

"It was all your idea." Tezuka leaned down to kiss Fuji's temple.

The tensai smiled brightly. "Well, it looks so nice because you worked hard."

"Ne, ne, I helped!" Eiji said, pouting.

"Sorry, Eiji." Fuji rubbed his stomach. "Ne, Chibi, what do you think? Do you like your room?"

"Well, she can't exactly see it," Tezuka said wryly.

Tezuka's cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Wiping paint off his hands on a paper towel, he quickly took it out and answered it. "Hello, Mother. …What's wrong? The hospital? Why?"

Fuji squeezed his hand questioningly. Tezuka shook his head and said, "We'll be there as soon as possible. Goodbye, Mother."

Tezuka flipped his cell phone closed with shaking hands, his face expressionless.

"Mitsu, what's wrong?"

"My grandfather's in the hospital. He had a massive heart attack. They—" His voice faltered. "The doctors don't think he's going to make it."

"Guys?" Oishi called as he came into the apartment.

"Oishi, I have to go to the hospital. Fuji's coming with me. Watch the apartment?"

Oishi started to ask a question, but Eiji shook his head. Tezuka had pulled on a shirt that wasn't covered in paint splatters and was grabbing his jacket as Fuji tugged on his shoes again. They were out the door in less than a minute, leaving Oishi to turn to Eiji.

"What's going on?"

Eiji looked close to tears. "Tezuka's grandpa's really sick, nya… And Tezuka's mom said they think he's gonna die…"

Oishi just stared at Eiji for a second, stunned. Then he pulled Eiji against him, wrapping his arms around him. "Don't cry, Eiji…"

"Tezuka-san is so nice, Oishi, this isn't fair! And Tezuka's going to be so sad, and…"

Oishi shushed him.

--

Ayana met them at the front of the hospital. "They have him stabilized, but they're not…" Her voice caught. Tezuka hugged her.

"We should go up to his room." He petted his mother's hair as she cried into his shoulder.

"He's in room one thirty-six." She wiped at her eyes. Fuji rode the elevator up with Ayana, while Tezuka took the stairs. Fuji stood with his fiancé's mother awkwardly as she wiped at her eyes.

"Kunimitsu told me you were finding out the sex of the baby a few days ago, but he never got back to me about it…" She tried to make small talk.

"It's a girl." Fuji smiled at her. Her hands twitched, so he took one and set it on his stomach. "This is your grandma, Chibi," he said softly.

A small sobbed escaped her lips. "Oh, Fuji-kun, I'm sorry—I just—Kunikazu-san has lived with us since Kuniharu and I got married, he's like a father to me… And Kunimitsu loves him so much… I…"

Fuji put his arms around her. "It's okay, Ayana-san," he said quietly. "You don't have to be sorry."

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open. Fuji and Ayana hurried down the hall to Kunikazu's room just as Tezuka was going in.

The elderly man looked small and pale on the hospital bed.

"Kunimitsu, Fuji-kun." He tried to sit up.

"Dad, don't." Kuniharu was up and pushing him back down gently.

"Let me see my grandson, Kuniharu."

Fuji hung back near the door. Tezuka stood at the side of his grandfather's bed, opposite his parents.

"Don't you start crying, Kunimitsu."

"Yes, Grandfather," Tezuka answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Fuji-kun," Kunikazu said suddenly, startling Fuji. "Come here."

Hesitantly, Fuji walked over to the bed, standing next to Tezuka. "Thank you for taking care of Kunimitsu."

"Ah—you're welcome, sir."

Kunikazu raised his hand slowly and let it rest of Fuji's stomach, smiling as the baby kicked against it. "I do wish I could see you born, little one," he said quietly. "Take good care of them, Kunimitsu."

Kunikazu's eyes fell shut; his hand dropped from Fuji's belly.

Tezuka's breath was harsh with the effort of keeping himself from crying. Fuji wrapped his arms around Tezuka's waist and pressed as close to him as he could. Tezuka clutched at him like a lifeline, shoulders shaking almost violently.

They returned home soon after that. Tezuka's movements were mechanical. Fuji tucked him into bed and went to say goodbye to Oishi and Eiji.

"Is he…?" Eiji started.

Fuji buried his face in Eiji's neck.

"You should go to Tezuka, Fuji."

Fuji nodded. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

They both nodded and left.

Fuji crawled into their bed after turning off Tezuka's alarm clock.

"Are you still awake, Mitsu?"

Tezuka responded by wrapping his arms around Fuji and pulling him close.

"I love you, Mitsu…" Fuji kissed him softly and cuddled closer.

"Thank you for being there with me today, Syusuke," Tezuka whispered. "It means more to me than you know."

"You don't need to thank me, Mitsu. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else."

Tezuka didn't answer, just kissed Fuji's forehead.

"Ne, Mitsu… I had an idea."

"Hn?"

"I thought… well, we haven't come up with a name for the baby, so… if you like it, I thought we could name her Kazuko, after her great-grandpa."

"I—" Tezuka swallowed. "I'd like that, Syusuke."

--

"The magnificence that is I would like to welcome you all to this baby shower." Fuji stood next to Atobe on one of the many grand staircases that lead down into one of the many ballrooms in the Atobe mansion.

Most of the Kantou region tennis circuit from their middle and high school years were there, as well as a good portion of the people from their college team that weren't included in the other groups. All of their parents, sans Oishi's, and Ryuzaki-sensei had also appeared.

Fuji looked down at himself with a sigh. He deeply regretted letting Atobe pick out his clothes. The shirt he wore was made of some sort of absurd flowy light purple material, and he was wearing leather pants. Leather pants! Pregnant people were not supposed to wear leather pants.

Well, not that they looked bad. Besides his ever-expanding stomach, he hadn't gained much weight anywhere else, and Atobe had had the pants special ordered with a strip of stretchy black fabric to fit over his belly to keep them from falling down.

Tezuka seemed to appreciate them, at least.

Fuji plucked at his loose sleeves as Atobe led him down the stairs. The former Seigaku Regulars were at the foot of the stairs with Tezuka, Oishi, and Eiji.

"It seems Atobe has done what he's best at and turned your baby shower into a means of flaunting his wealth," Inui said dryly.

"Fujiko's shirt matches Tezuka's Germany shirt." Eiji snickered.

"Germany shirt?" Tezuka asked.

"That purple shirt you always wore over there," Ryoma muttered.

"He only wore it because it is the favorite color of the magnificence that is I."

"Actually, Atobe," Fuji pulled Atobe down to whisper something in his ear, "And that's why he wore it all the time." Tezuka fought back a blush at the matching smirks of Atobe and Fuji's faces.

"So I see."

"Keigo!" Jiroh tackled the taller boy from behind. "Will Fuji-san let me touch his stomach? Marui said he would~!"

"Why don't you ask him, rather than the magnificence that is I?"

"Oh…" Jiroh looked at Fuji with wide eyes. "Fuji-san, can I feel, please?"

Fuji chuckled. "Sure, Akutagawa-kun." He took Jiroh's hand and placed it on his stomach where the baby was kicking.

"Kazuko-chan says hi," Fuji said with a smile. "Do you feel it?"

"Yeah!" Jiroh grinned. "Thanks, Fuji-san! That's wicked cool."

"It's no trouble, Akutagawa-kun. I'll have to get used to it. It was very nice of you to ask, I'm sure plenty of people won't bother."

"If anyone doesn't, I'll beat 'em up for you, Fuji-san!"

"Thank you, Akutagawa-kun."

"Aniki."

"Yuuta!" Fuji exclaimed as he saw his little brother, who was in his school uniform.

"Hello to you too, Aniki." Yuuta awkwardly returned the hug his older brother suddenly had him in.

"I didn't think you'd come!"

"What are you wearing?"

"Atobe dressed me."

"I see…" Yuuta grimaced at the color.

"Fuji-kun, that color looks marvelous on you!" Mizuki's voice came from behind Yuuta.

Fuji opened his eyes to see Mizuki in front of him over his brother's shoulder. His arms tightened around Yuuta's neck. "Whatever is Mituli-kun doing here?"

"Mizuki-san is my date, Aniki, and you will be nice to him."

"Of course." Fuji's smile said otherwise as he grabbed Yuuta's hand and tugged him into the circle of Regulars. Eiji blocked the opening in the circle to exclude the former manager.

"Akutagawa-kun, would you do me a favor and make that annoying person over there get lost somewhere in the mansion?" Fuji asked Jiroh a minute later when his brother wasn't paying attention.

"Anything for Fuji-san!" Jiroh said happily.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Fuji hugged the strawberry blonde tightly.

Atobe approached him when Jiroh had led Mizuki out one of the sets of large double doors. "As much as the magnificence that is I approves of manipulation, the magnificence that is I would prefer if you did not do so to Jiroh…"

"Sorry, Atobe." Fuji pouted.

"The magnificence that is I supposes it is okay this once."

Yuuta looked around. "Hey… where'd Mizuki-san go?"

Fuji waved a hand dismissively. "He's probably off raiding Atobe's closet. How have you been, Yuuta?"

"Fine…" Yuuta gave him a suspicious look. "You didn't tell someone to get rid of him, did you?"

"Nonsense, Yuuta. I'm offended you'd even think such a thing. Pregnancy has made me much more agreeable, you know."

Yuuta snorted. "Sure, Aniki. Seriously, what'd you do with Mizuki-san?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Yuuta. Oh, look, Yumiko-nee-san and Sakuno-chan are here!" Fuji waved them over.

"Aniki, stop changing the subject! Will you just tell me where my boyfriend is?"

Fuji shuddered. "Must you call him that, Yuuta?"

"I call him that because that's what he is, whether you like it or not. Why do you hate him so much?"

"Because you're my baby brother and I don't think he's good enough for you. Hi, Nee-san."

Yumiko smiled. "Hi, Syusuke, Yuuta." She hugged them both in turn. "Yuuta, where's Mituli-kun?"

"That's what I'd like to know…" Yuuta grumbled.

"Honest, Yuuta, I didn't hurt him. I swear." Fuji pouted at his brother. "Besides, I never get to see you any more…Won't you spend time with Aniki?"

Yuuta stared at the older boy attached to his arm. "How are we related…?" He sighed and patted Syusuke's head.

"I got him lost, Fuji-san!" Jiroh reappeared at that moment.

Fuji facepalmed.

"Aniki!" Yuuta groaned. "This place is enormous, I'll never find him!"

"Well, you know, Yuuta, that was sort of the point."

Yuuta glared at him. "I would punch you if you weren't pregnant!" He grabbed Jiroh by the collar. "Take me to Mizuki-san!"

Jiroh looked at Fuji, eyes wide.

Fuji sighed. "Go."

"Sorry, Fuji-san!"

"I wish there was a way to get rid of that annoying person," Yumiko said, drawing her little brother into a hug.

"Unfortunately Yuuta is very stubborn."

"Well, we all are, really. So, how is my niece?" Yumiko knelt in front of him and nuzzled his tummy.

"She's fine. Only two more months."

"Have Tezuka and Oishi and Eiji been taking good care of you?"

"Nee-san!"

"I just want to make sure. I am your overprotective big sister, after all."

"Sakuno-chan!" a voice called from the door.

"T-Tomo-chan! I thought you couldn't make it."

"Syu-nii-chan!" A small body launched at Fuji. Tezuka was luckily there to catch him before he lost his balance.

"Hello, Ryomoka-chan."

Fuji felt tiny hands reaching up to touch his belly. "Syu-nii got really big!"

"Ne, Ryomoka-chan, that's not very nice to say," Kaidoh said awkwardly.

Ryomoka squealed delightedly when she saw him. "Kaoru-nii! I missed you!"

Kaidoh gave her a small smile. "I just saw you last week, Ryo-chan," he said, picking her up.

"But I missed you! Where's Haru-nii?"

"He's off being a bad role model somewhere, I'm sure."

"Ne, ne, what's that mean?"

Fuji chuckled as the pair left to find Inui.

It was later that Yukimura and Gakuto cornered him at the drink table.

"Have you told Mr. President yet?" Yukimura asked, hand lightly passing over the swell of Fuji's stomach.

"I hope it's not Kikumaru's," Gakuto muttered, also letting Kazuko kick his hand.

"What are you doing with him, Fujiko!?" Eiji appeared behind the tensai.

Oshitari magicked himself behind the smaller redhead in an instant. "Gakuto," he warned.

Inevitably they did start arguing, and Tezuka, Oishi, and Atobe also came over to separate them. Fuji stood next to Yukimura, amused.

"Mr. President knows, by the way," Fuji told him quietly. "I almost considered telling him before Tezuka and Oishi and Eiji, but I decided against it."

"What'd he say?"

"Well, since I'm the first of the group to have a baby, we had to work out a new policy. Mr. President's being very kind, he says I can still take part in group activities whenever I can, but it's not mandatory. The same goes for Eiji if it's his or Oishi's." Fuji smiled. "He said he's sad I won't be as involved anymore, but otherwise he's very happy for me."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to be just as involved as always." Yukimura smiled fondly. "So, Kazuko?"

"Tezuka's grandfather… He passed away last month, and I feels it's fitting."

"And Oishi and Kikumaru are okay with this if she's one of theirs?"

"Of course, and, besides, Tezuka will be her dad no matter what."

"Your logic is sound as always, Fuji-kun."

"Well, it makes sense. She's mine without doubt, and so is Kunimitsu." Fuji smiled. "They're going to be living together, so if Oishi or Eiji is her father, Kazuko will probably grow up seeing all of us as her parents."

"That does make sense, I suppose. Still, it seems like it will be confusing for poor Kazuko-chan."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. We all love her very much." Fuji patted his tummy. "Ne, Chibi? It might even be better to have four daddies instead of two, don't you think?"

A shout from the other side of the room caught Yukimura's attention. "I'm sorry, Fuji. Niou is torturing Kirihara again, and Sanada said if he had to separate them again he would withhold sex."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Well, if I stop them, they won't fight again. Unfortunately, Sanada just doesn't instill the same sort of fear in them."

"I see. Like Inui juice."

"Exactly." Yukimura started towards his teammate. "Niou, don't you dare say anything about S-A-N-T-A. You will regret it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Buchou!" the copycat called back.

Three hours later, after presents had been opened and cake had been eaten, guests finally started trickling out, leaving Atobe, Jiroh, and the former Seigaku regulars chatting in the entranceway of the mansion while Atobe's servants loaded all the baby shower gifts into Tezuka's and Oishi's cars.

"I don't think there will be enough room," Oishi said worriedly. "There were so many guests."

"The magnificence that is I would be happy to keep some of the larger gifts here until you are able to take them," Atobe said.

"Thank you so much for this, Atobe," Fuji said sleepily. "You really went out of your way."

"Nonsense, Fuji." Atobe waved a hand dismissively. "This was quite an informal affair, really."

"Whatever you say, Atobe."


	6. Bottom of the Ninth

A/N: So, we've reached the end. We hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Keep a look out for other Off the Spirals.

Read the first chapter of The Notebook to understand the relatively funny part at the end. Even though it's very long. Scarlet, when we edit the Notebook, we should probably find a place to split that chapter, it's absurdly long.

Disclaimer: Kazuko belongs to us. Nothing else does that I know of.

Warnings: There's nothing really to warn about, really.

Chapter 6: Untitled again because Scarlet is being a brat. (I am not a brat. You're just a dummyface! This shall be called....Hm....Bottom of the Ninth, and YES I have been watching too much Big Windup! Oofuri.--Scarlet)

"What are you doing, Fujiko?" Eiji watched as the almost eight-month-pregnant man suddenly stood up and went into the kitchen.

"Hm…" Fuji was digging through the cabinet under the sink.

"Fujiko?"

"Mmn.." Fuji mumbled unintelligibly. He pulled a scrub brush and several bottles of cleaner out of the cabinet and set them on the counter.

Eiji frowned in confusion. They had been packing Fuji's hospital bag in the living room, and he'd stood up and left. "Do you want some help?"

"No thank you," Fuji said cheerily.

"Kikumaru?" Tezuka called into the house. "What's going on?"

Fuji was up on a step stool, pulling things out of the cabinets and dumping them onto the counter.

"I'm not sure…" Kikumaru watched curiously.

Fuji had finished emptying one cabinet and was spraying cleaner on the shelves.

Tezuka rolled his eyes and lifted Fuji off the stool. He set the tensai on the ground. "Cleaner." He held out his hand. Fuji pouted and handed him the cleaner. Tezuka set it aside. "You know you're not allowed to use cleaners. Last time you almost mixed ammonia with bleach. I don't want you doing these things. If you feel they need to be done, I will do them for you. Go wash your hands." Tezuka shooed the pouting tensai from the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Tezuka. I didn't know he wasn't allowed—"

"It's fine." Tezuka sighed at the boxes and cans on the counter. "He's just nesting."

A soft knock came from the door.

Tezuka and Eiji both looked up. Oishi wasn't supposed to get back from class for another hour, and even if it was him, he had a key.

Tezuka answered the door, Eiji right behind him and Fuji back further, drying off his hands.

A young girl stood in front of them in the Fudomine uniform.

"Tezuka-san, is my brother here?"

Tezuka blinked. "Sadako-chan."

Sadako wiped at her eyes. "Can I please come in?"

"Oishi will be home in about an hour," Tezuka told her, moving so Sadako could enter. "I'll be back in a minute with Kikumaru."

"Eiji-san is here?"

Tezuka nodded and went down the hall to the kitchen. "Kikumaru, we have a guest, and I think she'd be more comfortable talking to you than me."

Eiji cocked his head curiously. "Who is it, nya?"

"Oishi's sister. She seems upset, but I didn't ask why."

"Nya, okay…" Eiji followed Tezuka into the living room, where Sadako was waiting, standing next to the couch awkwardly.

"Ne, Sadako-chan, sit down!" Eiji put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her down onto the couch with him. Tezuka slipped out silently to give them privacy.

"Eiji-san, I…" Sadako took a shaky breath. "I ran away from home."

"What? Why'd you do that?"

"Because I can't stand being there anymore! Mom and Dad yell at me about everything, and it's like I can never do anything right, and it's just gotten worse since Nii-chan left, and…"

"Shhh… It's okay, Sadako-chan." Eiji wrapped her in a comforting hug. "Do you wanna tell me about it or wait for Oishi?"

She shrugged and cuddled closer to her brother-in-law-to-be. "I don't know."

"If you don't want to, that's okay. Do your parents know you left?"

She shook her head against his shoulder. "They were out…"

"Did you leave a note?"

She shook her head again.

Eiji petted her dark hair.

When Oishi returned to Tezuka and Fuji's he was completely shocked to see his sister sitting next to Eiji. Her eyes were red from crying and she had a mug of tea. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Sadako?"

Sadako's head shot up. "Nii-chan!" She ran around the couch and into his arms.

"Sadako, what are you doing here?"

Sadako didn't answer, just buried her face in her brother's shoulder.

"Nya, Oishi… Sadako-chan ran away."

"What? Sadako, what were you thinking?"

Sadako looked up at him, her big blue eyes wide. "I missed you! I haven't seen you or Eiji-san since you told Mom and Dad about Fuji-san's baby… And they're totally unbearable lately, Nii-chan!"

Oishi hugged her tightly. "Sadako, you have to go home… when they realize you're gone, they'll call the police, and they'll make you leave."

"I don't want to go home! All they ever do is fight, Nii-chan, I'm so sick of them yelling all the time, and they're twice as bad as they used to be because they're so mad at you... After last night I couldn't stand to stay anymore, I had to leave, and Dad has a big dinner today, so… I caught a bus and came here."

"What happened last night?"

"Dad got really, really drunk and started fighting with Mom and…" She bit her lip.

"Sadako, you need to tell me so I can help you."

"He hit her, Nii-chan…" she whispered.

Oishi sighed and hugged her closer. He knew his parents didn't have a very good relationship. His father had been an alcoholic some time before he was born, according to a friend of his mother's who hated his father. He only ever remembered his father drinking once, when he was very little. His grandfather had recently passed away, and his mother had just had Sadako. Sadako had bright blue eyes. His father's were brown and his mother's were the same green as his own. A man his mother and father worked with that she had become… close to… had bright blue eyes. His father thought Sadako had been that man's, rather than his. He had hit their mother then. Later they found out that their grandfather on their mother's side had bright blue eyes, and a DNA test had proven that Sadako was, in fact, their father's a few months later.

"Did he hit you?" Oishi asked, pulling her away by an arm's length.

"N-no."

"Did he hurt you at all?" Oishi asked sternly. Something was bothering his sister.

She pulled back her sleeves, revealing large, hand-shaped bruises on both of her forearms. "I tried to stop him…"

"Sadako…" Oishi brought her back to his chest.

"Please don't make me go back, Nii-chan…"

"You might not have to," Fuji said, having just appeared in the living room with Tezuka. "Sadako-chan, if you show the police what your father did—"

"They'd put her in foster care," Tezuka finished. "Even if they put her with a relative, it wouldn't be you, Oishi. You're too young, they'd be more likely to send her to your grandparents or an uncle…"

"We don't have any family, though," Sadako pointed out. "Our grandparents are all dead, and Mom and Dad don't have any siblings…"

"Regardless," Oishi said, "I don't want you going back there. Fuji's right, we should talk to the police about what happened, and we'll tell them Eiji and I would love for you to come stay with us, okay?"

Sadako sniffled. "Are you sure you don't mind, Nii-chan? I mean, you might have a baby to take care of in a month, I don't want to be in the way…"

"You wouldn't be in the way, Sadako-chan!" Eiji told her. "I bet you'll be a big help with Kazuko-chan, nya."

"Thank you…" She hugged her brother again, then hugged Eiji.

"Tezuka, could you get me the phone?"

Sadako looked at her brother pleadingly.

"I just want them to know you're all right. I don't want them thinking you were kidnapped and murdered." Oishi kissed her forehead and took the phone from Tezuka.

Oishi went into the other room and left a message on his parents' home phone saying that Sadako was okay, that she had come over to Tezuka and Fuji's, and that she would be staying the night with him and Eiji. He then called the police and asked them to send an officer to the apartment.

"They said an officer would be over within the hour." Oishi put the phone back on the base and sat next to his sister on the couch. She had a hand on Fuji's stomach and was smiling in awe.

"She's so little…"

Fuji nodded. "Just like her mommy… Mitsu, can we get take out tonight?"

"What kind of take out?"

"Chinese?"

Tezuka grimaced. "Fine." He pulled Eiji aside before he left, asking him to hide the chocolate syrup and raisins.

"I can't wait until she's born…" Sadako breathed, putting her face close to Fuji's stomach and giggling at the outline of Kazuko's foot as she kicked. "I always wanted a younger sibling. I love babies."

"You'll be our first call whenever we need a babysitter, then," Fuji said. "And you can come over and see her whenever you want if it turns out she's Mitsu's."

Sadako frowned. "Fuji-san?"

"Hm?"

"I've been wondering since I found out…" Sadako paused, biting her lip. "I know it's kind of a strange thing for me to ask, but… well, Nii-chan is so… _straight-laced_. I almost couldn't believe it when I heard he could be the baby's father. How'd you get him to do it?"

Fuji chuckled. "Eiji and I can be very persuasive when we want to be, Sadako-chan. Of course, your brother is also just as much of a teenager with raging hormones as the rest of us." Oishi was giving him a severe look, so he continued, "But I encourage you to be smarter than us, Sadako-chan, there can be very serious repercussions to sex, as you can tell." He motioned to his stomach. "Regardless of who the father is, we're all quite young to be parents."

Sadako nodded. "I know."

Tezuka came home with dinner, and when they were cleaning up the dishes later there was a knock at the door. Eiji answered it, ushering the police officer and the woman accompanying him inside.

The woman introduced herself as Ryuzaki Shina, a social worker. She looked at all the boys curiously as they introduced themselves and told the officer what had happened.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, "but are you boys Seishun graduates?"

They all looked at each other and nodded slowly.

"I knew it!" She pumped her fist in the air. "I'm Ryuzaki Sumire's daughter-in-law!"

"Ne, Sakuno-chan's mom is a social worker?" Eiji asked.

The woman nodded. "Anyways, I'd like to talk to Sadako-chan alone and get pictures of her arms, if you don't mind?"

The boys and officer moved to the dining room where Oishi began filling out a police report.

"You said your sister will be staying with you tonight?" the officer asked.

"Yes, I left my parents a message on their answering machine, but I haven't heard back from them… That is okay, right?"

"Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't tell you to send her home." The officer half-smiled. "I've been on a couple of runs like this in the last few months. If you want, I can get you the numbers of the lawyers who handled them…" he offered.

For a third time that evening, there was a knock on the door.

Fuji frowned and walked the few steps towards the front door.

"The magnificence that is I has come for a visit."

"Atobe."

"The magnificence that is I has it on good authority that there was a phone call made to the local police from this residence approximately one hour and fifteen minutes ago," Atobe said imperially.

"Er—how did you know that?"

Atobe looked at Fuji like he was slow. "I've given your names and phone numbers—home and cell—to all hospitals and police stations in Tokyo and the surrounding cities, of course. If you call for any reason, I shall know about it."

"Oh." Fuji blinked. "Of course. Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, thank you." Atobe toed off his shoes and followed Fuji into the living room.

"Atobe?" Oishi, Eiji, and Tezuka crowed in unison.

"The magnificence that is I is here to grace you all with my presence. And to ask why there was a phone call made to the local police station, which Fuji has yet to explain to me."

Tezuka opened his mouth to ask, but Fuji held up a hand.

"My sister ran away from home," Oishi explained. "She came here looking for me."

"Why does this warrant a call to the police station?"

"Atobe, this really isn't the time," Tezuka warned.

"The magnificence that is I will just wait then." Atobe sat down and made himself comfortable.

Eventually the police officer and Sakuno's mother left. Oishi, Eiji, and Sadako left soon after.

"May the magnificence that is I have a complete explanation now?"

"Oishi-san beat his wife last night while he was inebriated, and Sadako-chan tried to protect her. He, at the very least, grabbed her rather roughly," Fuji explained.

Atobe nodded.

"She ran away today. I suspect she went to Eiji and Oishi's apartment first before coming here, but she came here and she's staying with Oishi and Eiji at least for tonight… Oishi wants to get custody of her."

"The magnificence that is I would be happy to provide a lawyer, free of charge," Atobe offered. "And if you need anyone paid off, that is also something I can help with."

Tezuka rolled his eyes. "That's hardly necessary, Atobe. And I don't know how willing Oishi would be to accept you paying for his lawyer—he'll see it as a handout."

"If he's that bothered by it, I'm sure I can work something out with him," Atobe said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll call Oishi to negotiate tomorrow."

Atobe had called Oishi the next day, and, as expected, Oishi had refused the lawyer, saying he would find one on his own. He never suspected that the lawyer who had called him later in the evening, claiming to have heard about him and his sister from a police officer friend and offering him a ridiculously good price, was hired by Atobe, who was covering the rest of the cost that the lawyer usually charged.

Social services had looked for a temporary foster home for Sadako while the lawyers worked through the court system, and everyone was pleased when the Tezukas offered her a temporary home where her living arrangements wouldn't cause further tension between the Oishis and their son.

Fuji began rapidly gaining weight late during his eighth month. He began to have backaches, and he slept constantly. Someone was always with the tensai, usually Tezuka, Oishi, or Eiji, but occasionally Inui, Kaidoh, Momo, or Ryoma would watch over him. Fuji and Eiji's mothers had started to bring over frozen things so they wouldn't have to cook and flit about the nursery, enabling Fuji's nesting further. Everything from the baby shower had finally been crammed into their apartment, and all that was left to do was wait.

--

"Fuji-sempai," Echizen drawled with an air of utter boredom as he flipped through channels, "why did I need to come over again?"

"Believe me, Echizen, I wouldn't ask if there were anyone else," Fuji replied dryly. "Everyone else was busy, and Mitsu insists I have someone here at all times in case I go into labor."

Echizen didn't answer. "Why isn't there any tennis on?"

"Because there aren't any matches going on right now?"

The second year huffed.

"We're having your party here later anyways."

"I don't see why. I don't want a party. My family isn't even having one for me."

"Because you throw bitch fits about them. I, however, do not care how grumpy you get. We are throwing you a party, and you will like it because it makes me happy, and you don't want me to get upset, right?"

Ryoma grunted and took a sip of his Ponta.

Only a few minutes later Fuji whined in pain.

"What's wrong, Fuji-sempai?"

"Echizen, call Mitsu. We need to go to the hospital. Now."

Ryoma paled. "No, no, no, you can't do this to me, Fuji-sempai!"

"Echizen, call Mitsu. Oh…You useless moron!" Fuji shouted at his fainted kouhai. Sighing, he pushed himself up off the couch with difficulty and waddled over to the coffee table, where his cell phone lay.

"Please pick up, Mitsu," Fuji mumbled to himself as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mitsu! I think I'm in labor, but your so-called pillar of support fainted on me, so now I have no ride to the hospital, and—ew, that's disgusting—and either I just wet myself or my water broke, I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's the latter—"

"Syusuke, calm down for a second," Tezuka ordered. "I'm an hour away. You need to get to the hospital before that. Try to bring Echizen around, or call Oishi and Kikumaru, they're much closer. I'll meet you at the hospital. If you can't get hold of anyone, let me know."

"Okay," Fuji said weakly. "Mitsu?"

"Yes?"

"I—I'm a little scared."

There was a pause on the other end. "You're going to be fine, Syusuke. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you."

Fuji called Oishi after a minute of prodding Ryoma's side. Both the former vice captain and Kikumaru were there and getting Ryoma and Fuji into the car in no time at all. Eiji called Yamato-sensei on the way to the hospital, and she promised to be there as soon as she could.

"There you are." Tezuka rushed to Fuji's side and put a hand on his stomach, settling the moving baby inside. "Let's get you checked into the hospital."

"I called Momo to come get Ryoma," Oishi said, getting out of the car.

"And I wrote it on his hand!" Eiji piped up happily.

"Fuji-kun?" Yamato-sensei came out of the hospital then and waved at the boys. "I signed you in, come on."

Fuji smiled. "I think it's about time we figure out whose you are, little one."

--

"Nya, how long does it take to have a baby?" Eiji whined, bouncing up and down in his seat. "We've been here for _hours_!"

"You have to be patient, Eiji," Oishi scolded. "Sometimes babies take a long time to be born."

"I bet time would go a lot faster if we were allowed in the room," Eiji said, pouting.

When the doctor had told them Fuji was only allowed to have two people in the delivery room with him, Eiji had fully expected Fuji to pick him. They were best friends, after all, and Eiji didn't think Oishi would be bothered all that much if he couldn't.

But it seemed Fuji didn't want to let one of them in and not the other, so he'd picked his mother.

"It's not fair, Oishi!"

"Eiji, I don't think you realize how… well… gross it is to watch someone give birth."

"Nya, I wouldn't have to watch _down there_, Oishi, I just wanted to be there to help Fujiko and everything… and… I mean, Kazuko-chan might be my daughter…"

"Well, she might be mine too, Eiji," Oishi pointed out. "And I don't get to be there either. I think it's good Fuji picked his mother, rather than pick between us."

Eiji jumped up and started pacing around in irritated circles.

"Kikumaru-kun, Oishi-kun, you can come in now." Yamato-sensei poked her head out the door.

Eiji grabbed Oishi's hands and dragged him into the hospital room.

"She's so pretty…" Eiji said as they crowded around the head of Fuji's bed.

"Do you know whose she is, Fuji?" Oishi asked after staring at the sleeping baby for a minute.

"Oh, I know, and so will you when she wakes up. Ne, Kazuko-chan?" Fuji stroked a finger over her red cheek.

On cue the little girl popped a pair of bright green eyes open to look at the new faces crowded around her.

"Oishi… Oishi! You're a daddy!" Eiji glomped his partner, completely giddy.

Oishi steadied himself on the bed, one arm around Eiji. "Can I... can I hold her, Fuji?"

"Of course you can," Fuji said, smiling. "She's your daughter."

--

"Now, Aunt Sadako will be here to pick you up after school, and your lunch is in your backpack, and you be good for your teacher."

"I know, Mommy. I'm a big girl now, remember?" Kazuko had Fuji at an arm's length, looking at him quite sternly.

"Can Mommy have a hug and a kiss good bye?" Fuji mock pouted at the little girl.

"Of course!" Kazuko smiled brightly and hugged him.

"Oi, Kazuko-chan will give Mommy a hug, but not Daddy?" Eiji swooped the little girl up into his arms as the embrace with Fuji ended.

Eiji passed her off to Tezuka, who gave her a hug and a kiss and told her to remember that little boys had cooties and gave her to Oishi.

"We'll see you this evening, okay?" he said as he put her down.

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy! Bye Papa! Bye Dad! I love you!" She ran into the classroom as the teacher came to greet them.

"Hello, I'm Sasaki Kairin... Your... daughter's... You're those boys from the restaurant..."

Fuji frowned and looked over the young teacher. It was the hostess they'd gotten fired at Atobe's mountain diner all those years ago... Too bad he hadn't cross-dressed today.

--

A/N: This is sixty-eight pages of pure awesome, written in all total two weeks, we're guessing.

We wanted to let you know that we picked both Kazuko's gender and biological father out of a hat. We do lots of things like that. It's fun. It makes for more interesting happenings. And it makes this stuff more realistic. I mean, we weren't just going for the person who would cause the most conflict or something.

Scarlet wants to know if you guys would like fanart to go with the Off the Spirals. We'll, I dunno, upload them onto Livejournal for you.

Also, we want to know which one you'd like us to complete next. We have a bunch left to do, but we'll give you a few of them to pick from.

--Ryoma in a panda costume (don't ask)

--Fuji teaching Ryoma to cook

--Fuji meeting Tezuka's parents

--Yumiko yelling at Ryoma for being a jerk to Sakuno

--Ryomoka's first date

--Fuji teaching Eiji how to kiss


End file.
